a New Dmoz

It seems that some smart guy or gal would have started something like the anti-DMOZ..take everything that is wrong w dmoz and that every forum talks about that all whats wrong and offer a site like that...Is it just cause dmoz got the jump on everybody?...

 

I personally think that the ODP has jumped that shark although I would be delighted to be proven wrong. It would be an interesting thing if a similar directory were to start up. But it has been tried many times and failed for mainly lack of resources, the difficulty being creating a sustainable business model that is consistent with a volunteer only directory aka where is the money going to come from?

There is a little known rule known as nebuchadrezzar law which states that the chances of a volunteer directory turning into a pay for inclusion directory is directly proportional to the number of days the directory has been in existence.

 

I agree!
DMOZ listing price list
DMOZ as an SEO/Linkbuilding tool, as claimed by an editor!Shoemoney gets extorted by corrupt DMOZ editor for $5000

And the ODP is one of the longest running... only makes sense they too have fallen from volunteer status to paid. So thank you for agreeing

EDIT:
I got red repped for this with the message: Recycling the same old garbage

Honestly, if I'm recycling garbage, why doesn't DMOZ take out the trash? Oh, that's right, they did that when they booted Annie... yep, there was an editor on the take. So, I'll keep bringing up the garbage so long as there is garbage to bring up. If ya don't like it fine, but then know too, you are the ones that support the garbage I keep bringing up!

If the things I bring up are not issues, why do they keep getting brought up? I stopped with the CNN link issue once it was corrected. I'll stop with the paid links once it is removed from the guidelines and once it's clear those bids on Scriptlance are cleared up. Till then, dmoz IS on the take... I've linked to the proof. If you feel your proof is in the rep system, then so much for the honesty and integrity of the the ODP. Come on, if I am wrong, PROVE IT.

 

There have been a lot of "DMOZ-busters" over time - people that believed that they could build something that would replace it. There are a couple of people trying it right now, in fact.

So far, at least, nobody has managed to find the magic. Someone may come along of course, at some stage.

If you are going to make it a human-reviewed directory, in my opinion, you have to find some way to attract and keep editors to work on the directory. Doing it yourself, or with a small team, might work well initially but it just doesn't scale up at all when you get a large number of listings and/or submissions.

The other thing you have to do, from an SEO perspective, is to get Google, or some other search engine with some gravitas to take notice of it - otherwise why would anyone bother submitting their sites?

 

I agree, as the smaller the team the fewer the sites. That is currently one of the major issues with the ODP at the moment, not enough editors. DMOZ has around 6K active editors and they can not keep up ~ the queue is years in the waiting... to make a new ODP would likely take years and certainly more then a small band of dedicated individuals.

I think it would be better to clean up what is already here. DMOZ.

 

yeah, but that kind of talk has caused nothing in the past what? 8 years?

Be real. DMOZ is not going to change.

 

I’d love to see a “new” DMOZ, the current is full of potential, which guy or gal is going to develop it?

 

complaining about the THOUSANDS of dead links in the CNN categories eventually got those removed. THough, that's likely because the links were dead... complaining about the contentless/syndicated/duplicate/otherwise-against-the-guidelines topix listings however has done nothing but show that DMOZ does in fact favor its own. So I guess, for the better part you are correct. They are slowly bleeding out and it's just a matter of time before it's 6K editors is only 600 and then that 600 only 6 lonely metas.

It's sad really that they are allowing such a wonderful place to fall to pieces.

 

Who does DMOZ really benefit?

 

I'd love for there to be a better DMOZ, but it would cost a lot of time to establish it, but it would gain popularity very quickly.

A better DMOZ would actually benefit webmasters with unique websites.

 

You are living in a dream world. DMOZ was once established on good principles and then abandoned to be left in the charge of people worse than the directory crowd on DP.

 

DMOZ should "accidentally" delete their database and start fresh.

 

I think that's actually been tried before... but they restored it with an old dump.

Seriously, search on it, the place was down for MONTHS and parts of it are still broken...

 

The fix: Leaving the right people in charge.

 

Yea I remember that...too bad they didn't just start from scratch. New design and all!

 

What I'd love to know is who is the editor in chief of DMOZ, because that person has the authority to make changes. It's tough if it's all non-profit, but nevertheless an active effort is needed to improve.

I started thinking 'heck I want to help, I'll get in there and make a positive impact'. But even becoming an editor of one sub-category, that is just one very very small niche I can improve. There is a distinct hierarchy at DMOZ (necessarily so), and I wish the 'editor-in-chief' was more visibly and pro-active in the effort to make DMOZ as useful as possible to end-users.

 

Imposible, too many special interest groups controlling DMOZ now. Someone needs to star ta new one (of course it won't happen)

 

Yeah, it would be helpful if they had a "contact us" page like they enjoy being a part of so many other sites before they are willing to list them

I bet DP could do it, if they wanted too. There certainly is enough support around here to make it happen. However, I don't think it would be that much better once it got off the ground.

I think it would need to come from someplace like Google, or maybe for Yahoo to open it's doors on a grander scale. heh, I bet even MSN could do a better job then what AOL has allowed.

 

Shawn is not willing to do it, but somebody should.

 

Fundamentally, DMOZ is not there to serve the Webmaster groups. It has made no secret about that. Therefore to expect that it change based on suggestions from a webmaster forum is.. optimistic, to say the least.

The ODP has it's own ideas of how it would like to change, and AOL provides whatever support it can to make that happen. I doubt that it is going to address the issues that Webmaster have (see first paragraph).

So it really comes down to even you feel you can do it better, then please do so. I have said before that if it becomes as successful then you will get the editors joining up to contribute. To-date many have tried, but we're still talking about DMOZ.....