DMOZ is Dead...Long Live the Open Directory Movement!

[June Bugeye]

Well, it seems that DMOZ has been experiencing unspecified hardware problems for more than a week. More than a week with editors unable to log in; more than a week with no updates whatsoever; more than a week without any ability to explain the problem or offer an estimated time for it to be remedied.

I think this will be remembered as the week that DMOZ died.

Even if the servers ever come back on line (which no one from DMOZ has been willing to predict), I think that what remaining credibility the directory had left is now gone.

The open directory model is, however, too valuable to the Internet community to be lost, or more specifically, to allow it to be discredited by the fall of DMOZ. I think the critical error with DMOZ was the exclusivity inherent in its editorial process. Anyone reading these threads has to be appalled by the colossal arrogance of the moderators and senior editors.

Have a problem? It must be, according to them, that the failing is yours, not theirs. Has DMOZ erred? Impossible, according to them, DMOZ policy is such and such, and it is inconceivable that the individuals who administer those policies are anything but infallible.

Perhaps the time has come to try to marry the wiki approach championed by Wikipedia, with the structure of an online directory. It would, I realise, have to be organised in a way that is more resistant to abuse (since a web directory would tempt more abuse than an enclopedia), but I do not believe that this is beyond the skills of dedicated people. At the very least, it would have to be an improvement over the tyranny of the DMOZ editor-priesthood.

I'm sad to see DMOZ go the way of its dinosaur-like mascot, but, like the dinosaur, it has had its day, and it has died because of its inherent inability to adapt.

I am going to write to the Wikipedia Foundation, and encourage them to create a new online directory to pick-up where DMOZ left off. I hope anyone reading this forum will join me in doing so.

[pvgool]

I am going to write to the Wikipedia Foundation, and encourage them to create a new online directory to pick-up where DMOZ left off.

Why ask someone else. You seem to know how everything should work. Act your self. Spilling words is easy. Live to what you say.

[Eric-the-Bun]

marry the wiki approach championed by Wikipedia, with the structure of an online directory

There is already one out there.

encourage them to create a new online directory

No, the idea of projects like these, is for you to get involved, not to expect somebody else to do the work for you. Other people are not there merely to fulfill your expectations.

I hope anyone reading this forum will join me in doing so.

I hope people do not spam another project with demands like this. A more reasonable approach would be to ask people to contact you so you can start organising it all.

regards

[hutcheson]

You don't need our permission to implement your scheme. There are certainly many SEO communities that will welcome your proposal -- should you begin to implement it, the announcement should be made there. (It may not be made here.)

[donaldb]

Run for cover! The sky is falling!

If the ODP actually died every time someone on a forum decided that it was dying, it would have been gone years ago.

[sounddude]

And June, for your information, ODP has not died. It did experience a serious technical situation, but it is in the process of being restored. For a site it's size and to do it right, it takes time.

[croatiankid]

i just hope it's finished soon. i was worried when i'd go to submit url it said it couldn't find the cgi-bin directory, i thought maybe you weren't accepting new submissions because of the size of it.

[emil2004]

I was worried when i'd go to submit url it said it couldn't find the cgi-bin directory, i thought maybe you weren't accepting new submissions because of the size of it.

If you try doing the same again, you will see a message teeling you what is going on

[croatiankid]

yeah i know, that's how i came to these forums in the first place

[BIZ-GIANT]

I am going to write to the Wikipedia Foundation, and encourage them to create a new online directory to pick-up where DMOZ left off. I hope anyone reading this forum will join me in doing so.

Well their you have it another satisfied customer!

thx
malcolm

[hutcheson]

Make sure you give him his money back, and cancel his warranty registration.

[R3D]

that a search engine like google can still rely on this usless directory DMOZ

[pvgool]

Maybe becuase it is not useless for them.
DMOZ is only "useless" for webmasters wanting to promote their site, and that is intentionaly.

[chaos127]

I think "rely" is perhaps a bit strong. And if thy did use the ODP data in any way, that presumably would indicate something about what the world's best experts in search think about the quality of that data.

Yes, the editing side has been down for a bit, but the public facing view which provides the data to our users is still very much alive.

[liszt]

@R3D
Don't agonize over google and ODP data...
But if you believe that ODP data is useless why the hell do you try to suggest your own website to DMOZ?