A recent thread at Cre8asite Forums brought an interesting article to my attention.
Not that there are any huge surprises in the article – it’s all pretty much common knowledge about the relationship between Google and Dmoz. However, having it written up by a highly experienced Dmoz editor gives it a notable boost in value. Jean Manco is a regular contributor to Cre8asite forums, providing updates into the happenings at the Open Directory Project and related issues. She has been a volunteer editor with the Open Directory since 1999.
That is to say, she is somewhat of an authority figure when it comes to the open directory. She is one of those few Open Directory editors who really makes a point to communicate with the webmaster community – something which, sadly, isn’t incredibly common amongst the Dmoz community.
If you really want "the scoop" on Google’s relationship with the Open Directory Project, this is a great place to start.
Hat tip to sonjay at Cre8asite!
William Slawski
Jean is one of the bright points of light over at DMOZ. I credit her with the positive feelings I have for the directory.
Joe Dolson
Thanks for that link, Bill! I’m reading it through and finding it quite interesting. I did know that Jean Manco had been a moderator at Cre8asite, although it had slipped my mind.
The Open Directory is an inevitably complex issue, always. I think it’s great having Jean come by periodically and give us her insights. It really helps me have a deeper understanding of what dmoz is aiming at (whether they’re succeeding or not.)
William Slawski
One of my favorite threads at Cre8asite is a thread that Jean Manco (a one time Cre8asite Moderator) used to show us how she went about exploring and adding new sites to the directory. It made me think about the Open Directory in a completely different way:
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