alternative to the ODP ???

i've been an editor to the odp for a moment, 4 or 5 years ago, and now that i want to help again, i'm locked down because of some internal changes in the structure... let's say that the ODP does not have the value it had in the past... now sponsored by the AOL and not validating links as they are suggested...

let's say i'm sadly deceived by the ODP now... it was for me the best place where to find refered websites... and everybody know that the ODP is a base source for google etc... but i think that now that google have a new registery with adsense and other gadgets, they do not need the ODP anymore...

so, i now have to find something cooler... lol

does someone know if an existing "opened directory" is competing the ODP ?!
(so i can grab its content.. lol)

it's absurd how the ODP is filled with laziness now... i provide like one or two links each months, and none was filtered in the last year.. they are all stored in the moderation queue, none was reviewed by the editor in charge of the categories... and i asked, i asked again...

and i know that a lot of other sites are moderated at other categories...

[Dean C]

You down with ODP (Yeah you know me) 3X
Who's down with ODP (Every last homie)
You down with ODP (Yeah you know me) 3X
Who's down with ODP (All the homies)

[TruthElixirX]

Originally Posted by Dean C

You down with ODP (Yeah you know me) 3X
Who's down with ODP (Every last homie)
You down with ODP (Yeah you know me) 3X
Who's down with ODP (All the homies)

You're my hero.

remembers me the old times.. lol

[ablaye]

I don't know of any open directory that can rival ODP.

[Tanoro]

Originally Posted by ablaye

I don't know of any open directory that can rival ODP.

I don't know anyone who would want to. ODP does not impress me at all. I registered with them well over 2 years ago and I have heard nothing from them. They rant all the time about how their editors are volunteers and work at their own pace and that's the way it should be. "Become an editor if you don't like our speed. We need all the help we can get." I tried to join, but they never responded to my application.

I find dead links on ODP all the time and many categories have so few sites in them it's pathetic. The ODP is either dead or dying.

[Wayne Luke]

Originally Posted by Tanoro

I find dead links on ODP all the time and many categories have so few sites in them it's pathetic. The ODP is either dead or dying.

I'd say on the deathbed. It was run by Netscape before that was bought by AOL. AOL has since closed all software development for Netscape and only competes with itself for Internet Access. The Mozilla project is lucky because it got spun off into a non-profit and received financing from AOL, Google, IBM and Redhat to keep their doors open.

Without any money coming in, not much incentive to keep ODP open and with Google financing Mozilla, they won't put any effort into it.

[cheat-master30]

Originally Posted by Tanoro

I don't know anyone who would want to. ODP does not impress me at all. I registered with them well over 2 years ago and I have heard nothing from them. They rant all the time about how their editors are volunteers and work at their own pace and that's the way it should be. "Become an editor if you don't like our speed. We need all the help we can get." I tried to join, but they never responded to my application.

I find dead links on ODP all the time and many categories have so few sites in them it's pathetic. The ODP is either dead or dying.

I know it's dead. I still have a site in there that I abandoned about a year and a half ago or more, back when I hosted it on AOL. Doesn't really speak good about how the directory is managed, especially as the moving link probably goes to a dead site.

I also heard a lot about corruption and the directory not only removing sites criticising it but also being bribed to include/remove certain sites. Kind of thing which seems common experience from many bloggers.

Originally Posted by Wayne Luke

I'd say on the deathbed. It was run by Netscape before that was bought by AOL. AOL has since closed all software development for Netscape and only competes with itself for Internet Access. The Mozilla project is lucky because it got spun off into a non-profit and received financing from AOL, Google, IBM and Redhat to keep their doors open.

Without any money coming in, not much incentive to keep ODP open and with Google financing Mozilla, they won't put any effort into it.

You can tell Google don't care; try easily finding it from their website. Of course, it would probably be better if one of the said companies who owns it would just start over with somewhat paid staff instead of volunteers, or tried to manage it better.

[Wayne Luke]

Originally Posted by cheat-master30

You can tell Google don't care; try easily finding it from their website. Of course, it would probably be better if one of the said companies who owns it would just start over with somewhat paid staff instead of volunteers, or tried to manage it better.

I doubt that would happen. Technically AOL owns it but AOL is not in charge of its investments anymore. After AOL lost Time Warner over 1.5 Billion, the Time Warner board took control, ousted Steve Case and pretty much removed investment in un-profitable online investments. This is why Netscape was closed and all of its employees laid off.