I honestly think it would be a good idea if someone started a new ODP. DMOZ is too corrupted right now as I hear, and been down to new submissions for nearly 4 months. I think a new ODP with many people involved could easily get to what DMOZ is..well was back in the day. Think about it, and share your ideas, comments & suggestions.
Dmoz is funded by Aol Search. Creating a new Dmoz with better features and modern technology is going to be expensive, but I'll all for anyone who has some good ideas. The blog I co-author contains a lot of posts on Dmoz including "10 Ideas To Save DMOZ | The Future Of The Open Directory Project"
DMOZ should definately be shut down. Nobody sees it as a useful resource any more. When was the last time you went to a directory instead of a search engine too find a site? The only reason i keep my directory open is because people continue to pay for submitions. DMOZ is a web 0.1 site on a web 2.0 internet.
Based on the original ODP concept that the project lists unique high quality sites only, for the benefit of surfers alone, regardless of the marketing desires of webmasters? Sort of betrays the intent really. Your concern is that your site isn't listed rather than the interests of surfers sick of spam and affiliates, isn't it? That thought would be incompatible with a new ODP. That isn't to say there isn't a possible case for a free-for-all directory edited with no rules by webmasters with an eye on marketing but it wouldn't be an ODP or anything like it.
A new ODP won't necessarily solve anything. It would be a big sink in terms of resources and for not much reward other than reputation. A new ODP would need: - A big name and reputation to get it not laughed out of the room (e.g. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo... Wikipedia? Opera? Netscape?) - Enough money to be considered unimpeachable when it comes to the temptation of engaging in fiduciary malfeasance - Enough "good will" to make people want to edit directory submissions for them, since a properly conceived new ODP would theoretically remove corruption/cash incentives for volunteer editors The problem with an ODP is that the entities that have the means to do it don't really need to do it because they already have lots of publicity, reputation, and community feeling (e.g. the large software companies, search engines, etc.). On the other hand the people who don't have the means would only be interested in monetizing it (thousands of attempts at monetized directories litter the internet) or using it to get preferential listings for their own projects/friends of projects. Really what people seem to mean (around here anyway) when they say "man DMOZ is no good anymore someone should replace it" is "I need another high PR directory that is FREE". I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.
Good point Rob. We don't need them. They're only used by webmasters and crawlers anyway, so there's no actual need for a new ODP.
No there will be a need for directories but with a different approach Like mine's here I go I have started a directory called www.bigoole.com where one can search for the keywords A directory with keywords and not categories thats What!
no, not gonna happen. dmoz is free, if you wanna start another dmoz is must be also free for everyone. dmoz has a few (50?) million sites listed in xx.xxx categories - you need at least 1 million GOOD(!) sites listed in your directory before you can start to take over dmoz' position. and there are still a lot of dmoz clones or sites who use dmoz data, some of them are large internet providers (aol plus some other national or regional providers all over the world) and the google directory, why should they switch to another dmoz-like site?
I really doubt it. That's the same thing as typing in Google "search terms site:yourdirectory.com" Honestly, who uses directories to search for anything these days...
No one will use directories to search unless they become as big as search engines. But directories can maintain their popularity as "link submission sites" for webmasters. I think another attempt to create ODP can be interesting though there is no guarantee it would succeed. Dmoz is down, then there is a chance for another ODP.
I don't think creating a new ODP would be necessary. But a lot of people are just really pissed (including me) because their sites can't get approved and listed in it. Or worse is, sites can't even get a shot in being approved because it no longer accepts submissions.
I actually still have DMOZ in the top 20 referrers to my site. It's not totally useless yet. Creating a directory for webmasters won't blow DMOZ out of the water. Creating something for users might - but then even stuff that was created for users will be used by webmasters as well (delicio, digg, stumbleupon etc.).
Not the big huge all-purpose directories, no. Those were only useful when there were no decent search engines. I've been saying for a couple of years now that I think the day of the general directory has come and gone, other than from the point of view of link farming. However, I do see a purpose for niche directories, provided they are human edited for QUALITY and not just "pay me and you're listed". I own a couple and I use other niche directories when I find good ones.
I agree. I often use the local golf course directories to find golf course phone numbers, ratings and general info.
I think that a good directory, not slow as a snail like Dmoz or very expensive like Yahoo, have it's purpose, but many other players have tried it in the last years, and these 2 still stand. I started my own 7 years ago, and just switched it to Google search. I couldn't give results for most strange searches...