Attribution to ODP

We're considering some ODP data for a search engine. We will also be puting together data from other sources and ODP will power only a part of the database. We'll use titles and descriptions from ODP. Do we need to link to ODP?

It doesn't seem possible technically to link to the specific category within ODP for each search performed on our site since this is a search engine, not a directory. Thanks.

Pleae review the specific policies regarding using ODP data and any applicable attributions in using said data at these urls.


http://www.dmoz.org/help/getdata.html
http://www.dmoz.org/license.html

Help with using ODP data and attribution

Thank you for your reply. I'd already visited the urls you mentioned before I posted my question here. On http://www.dmoz.org/become_an_editor/ it says the ODP needs a deep link to the editor application from each category. Since I'm running a search engine, not a directory, there is no scope for a deep link to the editor application page. Can I add a link that says 'Powered in part by ODP' , link to www.dmoz.org from the main page and leave it at that? Can some senior guide me please. Thanks.

I have some oddball sites that use ODP data in non-standard ways, and unfortunately the license does not clearly spell out how to handle these situations. Because it's a legal issue, it's also harder to get a clear answer, and the editors are not the lawyers.

Therefore my non-binding non-official suggestion is to use the html you quoted, but link to http://www.dmoz.org/help/become.html -- from each of your pages instead of trying to link to a specific editor app for a category.

And for the submit a site link to http://dmoz.org/add.html

Another non-binding non-official suggestion:

Assuming that you're intending to use ODP data directly in (some) individual search result listings, for each listing that does so, you also provide a link to the ODP category that the site was found in. For example: Arts > Architecture > Education > Academic Departments (which could be in small print below the description say)

for each listing that does so, you also provide a link to the ODP category that the site was found in

Click to expand...

Seriously, if that was possible, I wouldn't be here taking up your time. I would be glad to include a link to http://www.dmoz.org/help/become.html in the footer on the search template page. So every search result would have this in the footer with the link text being 'Powered in part by ODP'. Would this be acceptable? While we're using Hyperseek search engine, we're not going to organize the sites like in a conventional directory. So there is no scope for deep links or letting people know that search results for 'widgets' came from the widget category powered by DMOZ. Please let me know. Thank you.

I'm afraid that you will need to approach Open Directory staff for permission (staff @ dmoz. org ). Special attribution for non-standard use has to be agreed by them.

jeanmanco said:

I'm afraid that you will need to approach Open Directory staff for permission..

Click to expand...

I'll do that. Thank you!

hmm I'm new here and was trying to think up some interesting ways to use the ODP data, having to link to each ODP category is pretty restrictive and only really useful if you're using the data in the way it was intended.
I'd very much like to know the outcome of your query, if you get a reply can you let me know via this thread please?

Cheers

Gaz

edit: Oops! Sorry, I didn't realise I was replying to a thread over 12 months old

Perfectly reasonable to post here....

Unfortunately, the editors don't have control over the licensing policy. For creative use of ODP data, we have to wait for AOL legal to amend the policy, although the editors have made some suggestions.

okay, I'll give one example I was thinking of...

Parse the UK regional section, and find crawl each website looking for xhtml address tags. For each one that is found, look up this address in a post-code database and resolve the address to GPS coordinates, then generate a Google Earth KML file from the results. Zooming around them in realtime would be pretty cool!
The difficulty here would be- would I have to include links to each category within each record inside the KML file? This would cause many, many megs of unnecessary bloat. Attribution within the readme.txt that comes with the KML file would be far more sensible.

edit: I'm probably far too lazy to do this, so if someone else wants to do it instead I won't be upset!