Have you ever heard of the Kids and Teens category? Sure you have, and if you haven't then it's about time you have. If you have already browsed the K&T guidelines, this semi-separate directory strives to provide comprehensive information for kids and teens without having them wide-eyed and confused among many sites that cover a variety of topics ranging from family pets to teen advice.
The Kids and Teens directory is by far the youngest node that appears in the
Open Directory Project. From its initial launch in November of 2000, the Kids
and Teens directory has grown from a collection of finite sites, to an ever-growing
web entity consisting of some 15,000 plus sites. But this directory, despite
its growth, could desperately use some helping hands.
You may ask yourself, what is one of the biggest problems this young directory
faces? It's not poor editing: K&T editors have so far done a great job in
doing their best to comply with stricter, more child-oriented guidelines. Age
tagging, sending shopping sites where they belong in regular ODP, and checking
sites for profanity. These practices have become all too familiar to K&T
editors. The biggest problem is the lack of help we have in order to hunt down
and find new sites geared toward children.
If you look in any given category, you will find many of them containing few
or no sites. Many categories are just waiting for an enthusiastic editor to
fill them up. For example, take Kids_and_Teens/School_Time/Math/Calculus/
with only 4 sites. Or how's about Kids_and_Teens/School_Time/Foreign_Languages/Italian/,
which only has one site. Categories like these have the potential to house so
many sites, as they can easily afford more sites. Like all things, they just
need some work.
Here are some steps you can take to accelerate the growing process of categories
you have access to:
For most people like me, you will probably want to clear the greens before you begin to go out hunting on your own for sites. On quite a few occasions, sites that are submitted by webmasters can be added granted you do some modifications (if need be) to the title, description, and URL (if certain deeplinking situations become a problem). Also, don't forget to age tag all sites - if you don't, you'll end up having to do it anyway should you want to edit another category. Make sure that all of the sites already in your category are up to par with the Kids and Teens guidelines. You will probably want to get it checked in the appropriate "Come Here to Get Your Cat Checked" thread.
For some categories, getting past stage one alone is an exhausting task. Take a break if you need to - some categories naturally receive more submissions than others. Once you decide to build up one or more categories you edit in, it's time to get your hands dirty. You should also decide approximately how many sites you will be adding.
Now it's time for you to hunt down some sites. There are many places you can go to if you want to find some extra sites to build up your category. But believe it or not, one of the best places to look for sites is within the regular ODP. As long as sites listed in regular ODP also comply with Kids and Teens guidelines, you can add them. Because Kids and Teens is a semi-separate project within ODP, you can list sites in other parts of the directory. Another category you would definitely want to check out is Test/Kids_and_Teens/Sources/. Here you can find other directories or search engines that contain material suitable for younger generations. You will still want to check each and every site even though it may be listed in other kid directories.
If you are planning to only add 10 or so sites, it is probably to your advantage
to simply hunt for sites and add them directly into your category. If you are
adding many sites, you might first want to add these sites into your bookmarks.
Additionally, if your addition of sites affects the organization of your category,
you will want to propose a plan on how to organize similar subcategories. You
can ask editors with editall privileges to grant you some space in Test, and
work from there. If you are adding many sites, requesting test space is definitely
an option you should consider since catmv editors can move them into the appropriate
Kids and Teens category - they cannot do so from your bookmarks. You will then
want to present your work and ask for some feedback from other affected editors,
especially if it is a major reorganization or addition of sites. If you would
like their advice, chances are you will have to wait. Once you feel you are
ready and everything is set...well read on!
Using my experience as an example, adding sites in Marine Life, placing them
under the appropriate subcategory, and presenting the final product was an exhausting
but enjoyable task. After everything was complete, I requested that the Test
categories be moved onto the public side. Once the moves have been made, you
will definitely want to make sure you do a priority sort.
So now, you have a great category with many sites. Now what? Well besides maintaining
the excellent condition of your category, you will want to create a category
description and FAQ. You will be very surprised at how many categories lack
a description; even more categories lack FAQs. These allow ODP users to find
what they are looking for as the description will tell them what the category
is about. An FAQ will allow them to acquire answers to common questions that
people would ask.
Please keep in mind that the purpose of a category description is "for
editors and Web searchers to learn more about your topic and the scope and purpose
of your category."
A good category description:
"A category FAQ is another way for you to provide information to users and editors in a question and answer format. A FAQ should contain information about your category and offer answers to issues regarding scope and content. The FAQ same guidelines for creating a good category charter apply to creating a good FAQ."
Comparative to other categories nodes, the Kids and Teens directory is in its infant stage. You can easily make a positive impact on categories that you edit. And if you are lost, need advice, or require a second or even third opinion, you will always find the ever-friendly Kids and Teens Metas at your service. With the Internet increasingly influencing web users of all ages, it is important that we filter out material that would be a disservice to the growth of Kids and Teens. Help build the most comprehensive directory geared toward Kids and Teens. There is a child just waiting to see what you have to offer.
I would specifically like to thank my fellow K&T editors for helping
me learn the tricks of the trades in this unique project within ODP. Special
thanks to Toocynical, who without her I would not be here. Her dedication is
unique to a directory that requires so much time and energy. To holidayzone
who has provided excellent leadership in K&T and has built up the K&T
directory, and to Kennebec and Bldarter, for their support and advice in the
mammals overhaul and creation of the unofficial scouting guidelines.