Update requests (the purple numbers) are often regarded as "easy" edits, perhaps because they can usually be processed quite quickly. There are a few traps, though, and this article presents some of the things to watch for.

Leaving a Duplicate Listing

If a request is approved, and the Update button is clicked, the old listing should be replaced by the new one. For various reasons, this does not always happen, so before leaving the category, it is wise to check that the previous listing has disappeared.

Requests for a Vanity, Mirror, or Deeplink

For various reasons, site owners may request an alternative URL, even though the listed one still works perfectly well. Obviously if the listed URL contains a notice about the new site, or if it automatically redirects, the new URL should be listed instead. But before replacing a working, listed URL with another, consider the following points:

• Could this be a competitor trying to remove a URL from the ODP by pretending to own it?
• Will this action delete a listable site? See "Deleting a working site" below.
• If a deeplink is requested or listed, would it be better to list the root URL instead? See the newsletter article called "To Deeplink or Not to Deeplink".
• Is the requested URL a mirror? If so, perhaps this should be mentioned in the editor notes (see below), or a URL note requested in this thread.
• is one of the URLs cloaked, a vanity, or framed redirect? You can read more about these in this recent forum thread, and an older one called "Why URL Cloaking is Bad".

Keywords Slipped In

Many webmasters are aware of the Update process in ODP, and may try to use it to their advantage by adding keywords or hype to a title and/or description at the same time as they request a new URL. If an editor accepts the new URL without changing the accompanying title and description, these will replace the previous listing, probably making it non-compliant with the guidelines.

Frivolous Requests to Refresh Listings

Another tactic used by some webmasters is to submit frequent requests for minor changes in the hope that they will be accepted, and the listing therefore refreshed. This may confer an advantage in terms of search engine spidering, so if you notice several such requests in the editor notes, you might think twice before accepting another one, to make sure it is necessary and that it complies with the guidelines.

Deleting a Working Site

Because a new URL (and the accompanying title and description) will replace an existing listing, it is important to make sure that both remain in the ODP if appropriate. For example, a research team might break off from their hospital department site and get their own URL. The site owner advises us of the fact and asks for the new URL to be listed with the old title and description. But if the new URL were just accepted from the Update request, it would overwrite the department one, whereas in fact both may be listable.

Leaving Editor Notes on the Listed URL

Unless the Update request has the same URL as the listed site, editor notes from one will not appear under the other, so any important information needs to be duplicated. For example, it is often helpful to mention other URLs in the editor notes of the listed site, even if the update request is deleted for some reason. In the future, if the listed URL ceases to work, an editor can check the other URLs in an attempt to find a working replacement.

Making Updates Work for You

• Processing an update request is a chance to check the title and description of the listed site, because they may have been written many years ago, and need some adjustment to meet current standards.
• It is also a chance to review the placement of the site, because new, more appropriate categories may have been developed since it was first listed.
• Update requests are also a good way of passing on important information to fellow editors, if you don't have permissions in that category. For example, you may notice that a listed URL is dead, or hijacked, or that there is a spelling mistake or factual error in the description. If you don't want to post in the Quality Control thread, you can go to the public page for the category and submit an update request, mentioning your editor name if you like.
• There is one bug which is worth mentioning. If you process an update request for a site that is cooled, the site will lose its cooled status. So just check the category, and recool the listing if necessary.
  

- makrhod