question about dance and directory listing

Hi All,

I just joined yesterday but I've been lurking awhile. I hope I word my question correctly, please bear with me.

YesterdayI noticed my PR dropped from 5 to 4.
http://www.spiralxdesign.com
When I used the dance-tool I noticed that they didn't list the same number of links all three, so I assume it is still dancing?

Looking at the links listed, I noticed the Google directory shows me still in Wilmington NC:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/North_America/United_States/North_Carolina/Localities/W/Wilmington/Business_and_Economy/Internet/

I moved from there last year to Apex. A few weeks ago I requested the listing be moved. I also needed to change the description. I submitted the description change and requested that I be moved to the Raleigh/Durham reqion rather than the locality of Apex. (I didn't realise this was a big deal, this whole area is called the Triangle, Raleigh/Durham.)

When I didn't see the change and I noticed that I wasn't in the Wilmington listing anymore. I paniced and posted a question on the DMOZ list. They acted like I was a sneak and rather rudely told me that I was "put" in Apex where I belonged. So, I thought "fine, whatever!" I was a bit discouraged to see the editor who was the rudest was 17 years old and claimed to have been an editor for over three years! Fine, whatever, he's probably a boy-wonder and I am listed, so why complain?

Well, I now see my listing and realized I have been moved to:
Top: Regional: North America: United States: North Carolina: Localities: A: Apex: Business and Economy
sitting all alone with a flooring company, not in the Internet subcategory where I was before I moved.

I think I should be in the same subcategory of Internet:
Top: Regional: North America: United States: North Carolina: Localities: A: Apex: Business and Economy: Internet

And my description is back to the old version! Which hurts since I don't really do print anymore and my business offers new services, like hosting.

Now, I hesitate to go back to the DMOZ list, unless I have to...
my questions are:
1. Why did the google dance pick up my old listing, which changed weeks ago?
2. Should Google pick up the new one during this dance?
3. Will this hurt me? -is this why I dropped from PR5 to PR4?
4. Does it even matter that I am listed in a new level, business and economy, rather than Internet?
5. Obviously I need to wait until the dance is over but how exactly do I go about changing my description and if necessary the subcategory?

It just shouldn't have to be so difficult, I mean people do move! I am listed in a lot of good places, so I have no trouble getting business but I shudder to think of trying to change a client's listing!

thanks for your patience and any help or enlightenment would be greatly appreciated.

-cris

Ah, now after I've had my coffee, I see that my post may seem to be trashing the DMOZ, sorry that wasn't intended. I just really wanted to understand how this all effects me. And question #5 is for anyone who has had any experience or hints.

-cris, who promises to drink her coffee prior to posting long rambling burbles

Cris,

First of all you're better off in the general Business & Economy category, because this page is PR3 and is one level up from the Internet category which is only PR2.

Secondly, DMOZ updates their directory and then every month or so, produces this data in what is called an RDF dump, which Google downloads tocreate their own directory. This data hasn't been successfully produced since September of last year, so that is why the Google directory is out of date and still ahs your old listing.

However, Google spiders the DMOZ directory just like any other webpage and so will register your site has having a link from the category in DMOZ.

Regarding your drop in PR - it could be due to fewer links or the fact that, as some people are reporting, there has been an across-the-board reduction of PR, possibly to accomodate all the new pages Google now has in its index.

I've written this very quickly, so hope it's all expressed clearly - if not, just ask away.

Gringo.

Ah, okay. That works for me



that explains a lot of what I see. thanks



whew! -good!



I redesigned the site in mid December, so I assumed all my changes were okay, but now I wonder if it is only now getting considered. I've been told to put all my javascript into an external file... does Google really get confused by internal javascript?



Gringo, you expressed it very clearly, thanks. Sometimes it feels like we are tossing pasta against the wall to seeif it sticks and no one told us the wall was greased!

thank you

-cris

If you redesigned mid-December you may have been just too late for the previous Google update that started on 1st Jan. Therefore, these changes will only now be reflected in the update happening now.

Regarding Google and javascript: It's not that G gets confused, but if you have it in an external file, it won't get spidered. This means that only relevant text in your page will be indexed by Google and can also help to increase keyword density (the ratio between searched for keywords and the rest of the "normal" text)

Gringo.

Thanks Gringo, now I know what my new admin project is for my site!

-cris