DMOZ search - completely useless?

David_1cog · Sep 17, 2002

Hi

It's just occurred to me how ineffective the DMOZ search facility is. Example: search for 'web design bristol' - not one web design company listed in the top 20 results.

This is because the search is looking at only the description and key words in the URL and ignoring the page title. Given the ODP guidelines that words from the page title and directory name are not repeated in the description this makes the search facility useless.

Or am I missing something?

dfy · Sep 17, 2002

You're missing something. The ODP is a directory, not a search engine.

hutcheson · Sep 17, 2002

As far as DMOZ search functionality, you're not missing anything. It does what it does, which is generally not what the escaped MSN or AOL user wants.

Sep 17, 2002

I use ODP search all the time.

If you go to the Google Directory and search it, I bet you'll come closer to finding what you are looking for.

David_1cog · Sep 17, 2002

You're missing something. The ODP is a directory, not a search engine.

Suggestion: read my post again and then look at http://dmoz.org/ - there's a big box at the top of the page with a button next to it that says 'Search'. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

David_1cog · Sep 17, 2002

It does what it does, which is generally not what the escaped MSN or AOL user wants.

...and what does the 'escaped MSN or AOL' user want? To find relevant information... which DMOZ evidently does not provide via its search facility. In fact, that's what everyone wants - 'it does what it does' isn't good enough.

If you go to the Google Directory and search it, I bet you'll come closer to finding what you are looking for.

You're absolutely right, kctipton... which is why I use only Google when searching.

I suppose my bigger point, left unsaid in the original post, is: if DMOZ aspires to anything other than an unwieldy directory shouldn't it provide a search facility that works?

David_1cog · Sep 17, 2002

It's just dawned on me that some of you may have thought I am suggesting DMOZ Search should search the internet like Google - nope, just search its own index with some accuracy.

dfy · Sep 17, 2002

I know there's a search box at the top of each page, but it isn't intended to help people find sites, it's there to help people find an appropriate category for whatever they are looking for. Yes it does suggest sites, but that isn't it's main purpose. Take a look at the results you get and you'll see that categories come at the top of the list.

I only ever use Google when searching too. That's because it's a search engine, and the ODP isn't.

choster · Sep 17, 2002

DMOZ doesn't aspire to be anything other than an unwieldy directory <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />. The history, the social contract, the guidelines all reflect this.

Most web users don't use dmoz.org for anything; most don't even know it exists. It stands to reason that editors are the ones who most heavily use the internal search engine-- and I think most editors would agree that our software engineer's limited resources should make editing software improvements and fixes a priority.

David_1cog · Sep 17, 2002

Hi choster

Yeah, I know that most web users don't know about it... which is a shame... it could be a great resource with a few changes, not least of which is the search facility.

Oh well, I've sort of made my point so I'll climb off my soap box now. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

hutcheson · Sep 17, 2002

You don't like the way ODP search works? Mostly, neither do I; but I've used it for some research for junior high school/high school projects, and sometimes it's surprisingly effective at that. But the point is, climb off your soapbox, download the search code, download the RDF, and write a better one. Put it up on a website, set up a script to download the new RDF weekly. I'll flat guarantee you an ODP listing, and can almost guarantee you lots of traffic. I bet a pay-for-impression banner or two would pay for the site.

That's part of what the "Open" in "ODP" means.

alnilam · Sep 18, 2002

Well, it waxes and wanes. The relaiablity, that is.

If the ODP duffs an RDF, then the search won't work properly until a sucessful RDF is dumped. If you really wanted to search DMOZ, try http://dmos.org <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> It's a live feed.

DMOZ search - completely useless?

David_1cog

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dfy

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David_1cog

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David_1cog

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