As I think, most of the people are like to run directory bcoz there've no need to build, design or any other extra work into it. Lots of free directory script are now available which is the main problem for it. People just download the scripts and export it to web and that all. If people design and program their directory there-self, he/she never do such a nonsense work with directory. I'm running a directory list more than 6000+ and I know in every 15-20 days more than 30-40 directories get expired. Some of them are got changed to another type of websites and some them are got expired and lots many things. Second main reason is CONTENT. Directory owner doesn't need to do and create any contents for the directory. Most of people like to make automate their websites and they just want to get bucks from it without giving any extra time on it. So, in this view of point, only directory is the like of the website which is become much interesting for new web businessmen.
It's not just directories, it's the whole WWW, have you not look around. Google's own properties like their blogger service which has many more low quality sites, wordpress blogs just as much. If you don't like them, don't visit them, if you ran into them, get out, I mean what's the purpose of venting out on a certain section when all things apply with many others that is just as bad or even much worst. Some directories have purpose, they categorize links in order. Yes there are a ton of them that are bad, but probably need to point out the bad ones rather than as a whole, because some of us do run a pretty descent directories, we work hard on them and it does take a lot of hard work maintaining them. Why not generate a list of bad directories, this way we can identify which one that you think that are bad, those who seek a more quality type might just avoid them in the future. Also one of the reason they exist is because directory list like directorycritic.com allows them in which shows support I suppose, just check the list, they don't care what directories are in as long as they get backlinks from them. Another supporters are those that take a submission service, the submission service just love those sites, nevermind if it is quality or not as long as they can add it to the list where they can submit. You might want to evaluate the directories by submitting it yourself and check if it is in deed a quality that will suit you, but please, don't say directories as a whole are useless, not fair to some of us. Edit: Also I would like to point out that within the cpanel on the auto install like Fantastico, guess what you can autoinstall,...phpLD 2, I think that is one of the reason why much more are coming up lately. One with a reseller account can install one in a fraction of minutes times hundreds in a single day. The old ways you need to install them manually and it takes time to install one that is if you dint come up without any errors which some newbie usually comes across trying to manually install. Again, if you have not done so, just visit those directory list and see that there are a lot of dirs that are owned and manage by one single person, they install as many as they could and use them for the submission services, if you use the submittion service, then you are helping the existing of poor quality directories,..again, not all submission services are bad, finding one is like a needle in a haystack, you'll ever know if their being honest to you, they will often outsource the labor and those laborer will use the bad list of directories and or a software which contains those list.
simple there is no barrier to entry- 99 cent domain, free script, free hosting, free category download = directory then you offer free links = traffic, then you sell it for $500 = $499 profit.
lol, I can see some people registering domain by the hundreds with that comment you made. I don't think it works like that. For a .info residing in a free hosting with a minimal traffic and little or no revenue, it is actually worthless to a buyer. What does a .info is use for is that it allows someone to own a mass domain for much less than the top TLD's. Purchase a resseler account or an account which allows you to host an unlimited domains(hostgator) and host all of those .info's with an auto scripts that install phpLD2, once that's all done they can offer a submission services which would list their site to all of this directories (which they own). I think it is the submission service that does most of this, I really believe that and in no way they could build up a directory and be sold for $500 and gain a profit of $499 in such a short period of time, if that would be true, I think many would do that.
1. they started directories to earn money by sitting. 2. poor management 3. lack of site promotions lead to low directory pr itselt 4. site domain closes 5. = CRAP :/
Many do it and that is what has ruined the industry. I agree that 90% of the traffic is bots but it still shows as visits in a stats program and even if they don't get $500 they get $200 so $199 profit, and that is a lot of money especially for some people overseas, so that is why there are so many crappy directories out there
You went from $500 and now to $200 with the $199 profit. Where are you getting your information may I ask?
I am just using ballpark figures from different auctions I have noticed the past few years over at sitepoint. Just go check sitepoint past sales, or the new marketplace (flippa I think) and you will see lots of these types of directories that sold for $200-$1,000 range - in fact there are threads about some DP members that were doing this on a regular basis a couple of years ago. The whole thing works better on a dropped PR directory but they offer free listings, get a few paid featured listings from folks that don't know any better then they sell 10 home page links at $10 each, then they say: PR3 Directory with Traffic and Earnings for Sale - In two months they earned $150 so multiply that by 6 and the site will earn around $1,000 for the year so it is a steal for $800 and someone that knows nothing about directories sees a site with some traffic and earnings for cheap so they bid $600 and win!!!