Fish as Pets: Aquarium Forum Hall of Shame-2

Aquarium Forums Hall of Shame; Part Two- DMOZ and SEO forums

DMOZ and aquarium, aquatics, pond listings

This hall of shame post actually diverts from Aquarium/pond forums to an SEO forum as it relates to DMOZ (SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization).
I am writing this post after being flamed and attacked on SeoChat Forums about my comment as to DMOZ and as it relates to Google Searches. DMOZ is a human edited directory, staffed by volunteers usually from similar fields to which they edit (which may or may not be a conflict of interest, but I will not question the integrity of those in fields I do not know). However in the field I have spent a life’s work (and of which I have been prodded to publish it for more than a decade before I finally did with my many articles), I know that many of the articles that are listed are of poor quality or worse.

To set the stage, let me point out that a quick search of the DMOZ directory under Home, then Pets, then Fish/Aquaria will yield several at best spammy sites “The Baily fish”. Many of these sites give not necessarily incorrect information, however it is often anecdotal which can not give a newbie to advanced aquarist the full picture. I know from the many emails, aquarium forums posts, and my old maintenance business questions posed that even simply incomplete information can lead to confusion as to correct procedures of fish care, often with disastrous results.
Another problem is that Google give a lot of weight to its searches to sites that are listed in the DMOZ directory, so often searches can be skewed as well here.
An example of a recent email question led me to this Google Search: “freshwater aquarium calcium” which yielded some reasonable sites as to Marine Aquarium Calcium, of which the need is better understood, yet for the less understood but still important subject of freshwater aquarium calcium, the search came up dry. This is unfortunately an important subject as correct fish osmoregulation depends on calcium and other electrolytes as well.

Now, back to Seo Chat Forums; I posted on a thread about “shutting down DMOZ” with this comment:
“I do not claim to be an expert in DMOZ or its editors, and maybe 90% are ethical and do the right thing.
However what I can say after 30 plus years in the aquarium industry in research, maintenance and sales is this hobby/industry is extremely anecdotal, passing around the same tired information over and over, never using research from much better funded industries (such as Horticulture, marine research, human drug studies, etc, etc.) to back up what is stated. For instance I see this in aquarium lighting, where the newer technology T2 and SHO lights are nowhere to be found except in use by aquarium professionals that have to use and stand by their choices on a daily basis..
Another point is a person that worked at a Aquarium Supply distributor as a manager near the end of his career told me a few years back: “I have worked in management for the past 30 years of my life and never have I seen a more back stabbing, dishonest and corrupt industry until I took this job”
My point is unfortunately Google gives weight to DMOZ, and even though many editors may well be good, honest persons, I know from my past three years of submissions that this is not true based on what I do know to be true.”

I am not sure how this stated got twisted that I am stating that the editors are corrupt, or how ended up with me being accused of being a liar (& worse) multiple times, however I will state from my own submissions to a very low volume category (fish/aquaria) that my aquatic information site is still sitting there. At the least the fact that so many so-so sites exist while mine and other more current research sites are not added makes the point that this is a poor source for viable aquatic information. At worst it is possible that other sites are being “sat on” (or even rejected although mine is not) based on an editor who is trying to keep his/her agenda in there and block other information that has mores facts that would make their favorites look bad. Read whatever you want into this or my statement on the forum, but this is not a lie, nor is this a charge that all editors at DMOZ are corrupt.
One of the more vicious (as per his attacks on me) posters in this forums stated that he is “passionate about this subject”, well he has that right, but I too have a right to be passionate about the subject of aquatic misinformation that often makes new aquarists quit and often even frustrates advanced aquarists when information they are seeking is either anecdotal, corrupt, or simply cannot be found and DMOZ along with Google often do not make this easy. Also this same person suggested that I get a job on the board at Google which is a ludicrous statement, when all I was stating is that either DMOZ changes some procedures or (better) Google gives less weight to DMOZ directory sites (or other so called “authority sites”) and more to content (which includes links within this content to other research, often of university level to back up the content). This is a simple matter of “doing what’s right” rather than lame statements such as were directed at me.
I will admit that I finally stood up for myself with an attack back after his comments about getting a job on the board of directors at Google with this statement”
“But what is really troubling to me now, is this is almost the exact answer I got from children's services when asking them to do the right thing after several reports to them about my kids after my daughter’s molester was trying to turn the tables by redirecting this corrupt organization against me.
What a sad world we live in when this is the answer to doing what is right.”

I am sorry, but I was told similar (to get a job, run for county commissioner) if I did not like what was being done and this hit a raw nerve, especially in light of recent problems with this persons and my daughter’ nightmares.
My admittedly harsh response brought out the real venom from two individuals and a childish response of remove ALL credibility I had gained over two years of being on this forum (which is a silly system IMO besides that allows this).
This forum still publishes some good articles and has some good people posting there (such as Egol), however the moderation there is poor (IMO) and the this guy along with others often will attack others that due not agree with there world view.

Here are just a few of the sites where many 1000s of hours worth of research, hands on experience, and yes even corrections to my own mistakes have gone into (I have MANY more):

Aquarium (& pond) Information, Resources
Aquarium and Pond Answers, unique aquatic posts, answers to aquaria forum questions