The Demise of DMOZ?

Author: Bill Marshall

Date Published: 12 September 2007, 12:00

For some weeks now it has been impossible to submit entries to DMOZ - The Open Directory Project - which has long been considered an important source of trust for obtaining good Google rankings. Previously delays had been caused by a shortage of editors, but this time there was a message about a technical fault. However as the situation continued, rumours began to circulate about a major failure.

Now one of the original founders of DMOZ, Rich Skrenta, has blogged about the situation, announcing that the directory server at AOL, who now control DMOZ, has crashed with a major loss of data. For some reason backups had been discontinued and there must now be a major question mark against the future of the whole directory. AOL recently announced heavy job losses and there appears to be some doubt as to their commitment to the project or their ability to revive it.

A number of commentators are suggesting that this will result in either the formation of an independent Open Directory Foundation, if AOL are willing to allow it, or the complete demise of the directory. Whatever the result, many feel that the directory is no longer useful in its present form and needs to be brought up to date with the so-called Web 2.0 landscape if it's ever to be a relevant force again.