Shoemoney says BOTW to buy DMOZ

i simply dont believe it ...

 

Jeremy Shoemaker, of the popular Shoemoney blog, Posted that the owners of Best Of The Web Directory are in talks to buy Dmoz from AOL and that a "deal could be reached fairly soon."

It is unknown whether a sale would change Google's use of Dmoz for its own directory or would prompt Google to reconsider how much weight it gives the sites linked within Dmoz. For those who don't know, Google is still relatively cozy with Dmoz in that it maintains a Google Directory that is a duplicate copy of the Dmoz content. Dmoz also is still considered a great place for your site to be listed to gain premium Google link power that helps your PageRank.

Over the last year Google has made it clear they don't like the selling of links from anywhere, especially directories. Google has also made clear that it considers the selling of inclusion in a directory tantamount to selling links. Many directories have experienced a severe lowering of their PageRank that have effectively made links (and inclusion) less valuable to potential buyers.

Since Dmoz is a free directory with moderators who decide whether a site is included or not, Google still gives their coveted Google juice to sites listed in Dmoz.

A listing in BOTW.org is not free. It charges a hefty $249.99 review fee which is a prerequisite for Inclusion. BOTW makes the point in bold font that their review for inclusion is not a guarantee of inclusion in their BOTW Submit Terms of Service. Apparently Google believes there is enough editorial value in these reviews because BOTW.org still has good PageRank within its categories.

However, Google has penalized many other directories that charge for inclusion reviews. Many website owners feel that even the appearance of selling links leads to PageRank reduction. BOTW is an old, established directory with lots of quality listings similar to Yahoo, which also sells inclusion reviews and suffers no repercussions from Google either.

 

This is already being discussed on this thread
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1026596

 

Oh damm. sorry i didn't see that thread. all that effort for nothing...

 

Yeah, BOTW would take 999 years to review the pending sites. But that would still be better then the 999 centuries it would take DMOZ.

I'd be surprised if Google did not pick up the directory instead of BOTW. DMOZ is just so huge, and a popular brand, that it would sell for some good money.

Nice post at Shoe's blog and interesting stuff. Makes great link bait too.

 

great link bait... chance of this happening..... 1%

 

Link bait... wtf are you going on about?

Its a genuine rumor, which i unfortunately didn't know when posting this had already been posted about, so any replies should really be posted in the original thread for this topic...

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1026596

 

lmao... come on dude

Do you really think BOTW would even want dmoz?

For what? so he can make it paid?

Just my feeling about it and think it link bait

laterz
malcolm

 

Link bait to who? Dmoz? BOTW? AOL? are you serious?, you seriously think that they need link bait to get visitors?

 

my reply:

on top of that, it's so risky biz for botw, given that it's not clear what google's take on future dmoz will be.

 

ohhhh my....

i just caught "bin laden" in my back office looking at porn

You believe that ? If so you will believe anything anyone tells ya


laterz
malcolm

 

Haha what are you on about?!

A genuine rumour!?

Next you will be saying things like military intelligence.....

 

I agree shoemoney has been known to pull some interesting stunts for link bait. This one would be a whopper if that's all it turns out to be.

 

I have a simple question: AOL is a for profit company, so how do they monetize their involvement in DMOZ?

 

A very good point that you made Wayne, well AOL only got the ODP directory included when they purchased Netscape, AOL were never after Dmoz, it was just part and parcel of buying Netscape, now AOL haven't really given Dmoz much in way of support since owning it, some quotes of this would be that the ODP is running on second rate hardware in AOL's basement, I for one think that AOL are definitely looking to sale and off load Dmoz at some near point in the future.

 

That's why I think this rumor may have some merit, and thought it was worth repeating.

Of course, companies talk about buying other companies all the time, and it doesn't always happen. So, even if this deal never happens, it still doesn't mean Shoe was just blowing smoke for links. But, no matter what, it was still linkbait for him...

 

The only reason to buy DMOZ is to remove it as competition. Anyone can build a DMOZ but you don't want to try and be seen as THE authority on link directories when DMOZ exists. DMOZ did it first and 1.6 million links is a lot.

I see this more as a move to gain recognition if it is really happening.

 

will this fasten the process of listing sites at DMOZ???

 

Who cares? DMOZ is dead.