What I proffered as my reason for retiring my position as editor at the Open Directory Project:
Mostly lack of time and energy to devote to the cause, but also due to the following message I received today:
“Hi,
You need to improve your basic editing to bring it in line with ODp guidelines.
Please reread the http://editors.dmoz.org/guidelines/
Especially
http://editors.dmoz.org/guidelines/describing.html#titles
and
http://editors.dmoz.org/guidelines/describing.html#descriptions
Let me know of any other queries.
Thanks.
pchere
Meta Editor.”
Put simply, I don’t have the time, energy or interest to interpret useless criticism from so-called “Meta Editors.” I found it particularly striking to come across the following in the suggested guidelines: “You should be accommodating of various individual styles, and avoid adopting a fundamentalist view of these guidelines by being overly critical and nitpicky of URL format, titles and descriptions. Editors should keep in mind that while the quality of the annotations is important for relevancy, the quality of the links themselves are most important to the ODP’s overall quality and usefulness.”
To which I say, damn straight. Why doesn’t someone else try to come up with annotations for 200+ personal weblogs and see what you can do to make them relevant and guideline-conforming? If you want to offer criticism, say something meaningful. Blanket negativity, besides being insulting, is de-motivational and indicative of poor stewardship.
Something vaguely supportive of the hours I’ve poured into the directory may have offset my frustration, but it is with an overwhelming feeling of malaise that I resign my post as ODP editor.”
Of course, there are other practical reasons why now would be a good time for me to get out of the dmoz fold. I’ve done it for a year, more than quadrupling the size of the LIS Weblogs section. It’s someone else’s turn.
I’m also very happy with my work on Blogsource and would prefer to devote my energy to that project.
And there are other high quality lists of LIS weblogs out there.
So one door closes…let many more open in its wake.
