Getting listed in DMOZ after a red mark against me?

[PinpointDesigns]

Hi everyone,

Before I start, I want to point out that I realise DMOZ is not everything. If I can't get a link, then I'll accept it, but I'd like to try damn hard to get a link in there if possible as I honestly believe we are a reputable company that deserves to be in there with other companies in our region.

So, lets go back to the start:

A few years ago, when I was young and foolish, I posted a request on rentacoder (now vworker) asking for someone to submit us to DMOZ for $xxx. If I remember correctly, we accepted someone for the job and they submitted our site. Since then, we've never been accepted.

I tried submitting the site a couple of years ago and realised it still hadn't been submitted around a year ago. I thought this was a bit strange, so I did a bit of digging. I ended up talking to someone who was a DMOZ editor. They looked at my listing on DMOZ and basically said that I'd be rejected for 'bribing an editor' - something that I still maintain I didn't do.

Never at any point have I said to someone that I would pay them to guarantee us a listing. At the time, I thought there was a 'certain way' to write a submission, but now that I've grown up a bit, I've realised it's fairly easy to get a listing if you write a well written description and are honest - I've done this for many clients sites which are now accepted.

Unfortunately, this does mean that It looks like I won't be able to get our agency on DMOZ, but I just wanted to give one last push and see if anyone on SEOMoz knows of any one I could speak to in order to lift this ban?

I realise now that it was probably a stupid thing to do, and in hindsight, I should have just waited like everyone else. I hold my hands up to that and I've worked over the last few years to grow our agency into something special for our clients.

As I say, I realise dmoz isn't everything, but it is a directory that still holds value and I would like to be linked off there if possible.

Any tips on how I may be able to beg for my ban to be lifted would be much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Lewis

PS: I applied to become an editor at one point, this was when I realised something wasn't right - http://www.resource-zone.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=52658

[DanielFreedman]

Hello:

I'm afraid I have to offer brutal, two word advice: give up.

From DMOZ's point of view: you broke one of their most unbreakable rules and can't accept that you have been banned as a result.

I don't think there is anything more to be done.

It's probably wisest to just move on and stop letting this get under your skin, no matter how unjust you may see it as.

[cbpayne]

"I'd like to try damn hard to get a link" That is funny! There is nothing you can do except submit your site once to the one best category. Anything more than that is a waste of effort and time and is more likely to hurt you than help you. There is nothing more that you can do. Do what Daniel said and, move on. There is nothing more you can do. Resubmitting, as you have done, is the worse thing you can do and further harmed your chances of getting listed.

[PinpointDesigns]

Hi Daniel,

Yeah - I was kind of expecting that kind of a response.

It's pretty frustrating really, more because I know I haven't tried to bribe anyone. That being said, if they won't shift, then I'll have to move on. Like you say, I just need to avoid letting it get under my skin.

Plenty of other good backlinks out there! It'd just be nice to think I could clear the air with the DMOZ crew!

Many thanks,
Lewis