Hi Everyone,
DMOZ can sometimes be tough to navigate because of the many designations used to categorize the site. In this post, editor glippit has prepared an explanation to help clear up the confusion about when and where each is used. Enjoy!
Emily
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Although we're one Directory in name, we're multiple directories in fact. Thanks to our large volunteer base from all over the world, we can organize sites by age group, language, location and topic - and we do. Our goal is to ensure that anyone, wherever they are and whatever languages they know, can find good sites selected by human editors.
On the downside, all these directories can sometimes confuse submitters and users.
Let's start with the names of these directories. World is our directory by language. Regional is our directory by location. Kids_and_Teens is our directory by age group. Arts, Business, Computers, Games, Health, Home, News, Recreation, Reference, Science, Shopping, Society and Sports comprise our directory by topic.
So how do you know where to begin looking? Or submitting a site for review?
The first division is age group, and the second is language. If the intended audience is young people (not their parents and educators, but young people themselves), start with Kids_and_Teens. If the site is in a language other than English, move to Kids_and_Teens/International and select the appropriate language. If the intended audience is adults, start with the root directory for English sites, otherwise move to World and select a language.
The next division is by geographic location (place) or by topic (subject). Sites connected with a particular location are found in Regional. Sites connected with a particular topic are found in the remaining top-level categories. Remember: these divisions are within World for non-English language sites.
As you can see, these multiple directories can intersect and overlap. Sites related to mathematics and science generally have no connection with any specific location but belong only in a topic category. Sites of a village's local library or movie theater will have a strong connection with a specific location but aren't likely to be of interest to those looking for information about the topics of libraries or movie theaters. Some sites, such as major companies or sports teams, may be of interest in both the location and topic areas. And don't forget - any of these sites might be in multiple languages.
Let's use the example of a site written in the Italian language about a major publishing company in Italy. It might be listed within both World/Italiano/Affari/Editoria_e_Stampa/Editori and World/Italiano/Regionale/Europa/Italia/Lazio/Provincia_di_Roma/Localit à/Roma/Affari_e_Economia (topic and location for the Italian language directory).
If the site were also in English, add Business/Publishing_and_Printing/Publishing and Regional/Europe/Italy/Regions/Lazio/Localities/Rome/Business_and_Econo my (topic and location for the English language directory).
If they also offer a French version of their site: World/Français/Commerce_et_économie/Imprimerie_et_édition/Editeurs and World/Français/Régional/Europe/Italie/Commerce_et_économie/Imprimer ie_et_édition or perhaps World/Français/Régional/Europe/Italie/Emilie-Romagne/Commerce_et_éc onomie (still topic and location, this time for the French language directory).
It's not difficult as long as you keep in mind the different ways people might look for sites.
Are you wondering about the size of each of these directories relative to each other? We're growing all the time, but we currently have over 2.5 million English-language sites listed and close to 2 million sites in other languages. How many other languages? 80 non-English languages in World, with many more in the Test/World incubator. The ratio is about the same within the Kids_and_Teens directory, with 34 non-English languages represented. Within the English-language directory, roughly half are listed by location and half by topic. Each of the World directories vary, but that seems to be the general ratio.
We all live in an increasingly globalized world, and ODP is here to help.
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DMOZ can sometimes be tough to navigate because of the many designations used to categorize the site. In this post, editor glippit has prepared an explanation to help clear up the confusion about when and where each is used. Enjoy!
Emily
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Although we're one Directory in name, we're multiple directories in fact. Thanks to our large volunteer base from all over the world, we can organize sites by age group, language, location and topic - and we do. Our goal is to ensure that anyone, wherever they are and whatever languages they know, can find good sites selected by human editors.
On the downside, all these directories can sometimes confuse submitters and users.
Let's start with the names of these directories. World is our directory by language. Regional is our directory by location. Kids_and_Teens is our directory by age group. Arts, Business, Computers, Games, Health, Home, News, Recreation, Reference, Science, Shopping, Society and Sports comprise our directory by topic.
So how do you know where to begin looking? Or submitting a site for review?
The first division is age group, and the second is language. If the intended audience is young people (not their parents and educators, but young people themselves), start with Kids_and_Teens. If the site is in a language other than English, move to Kids_and_Teens/International and select the appropriate language. If the intended audience is adults, start with the root directory for English sites, otherwise move to World and select a language.
The next division is by geographic location (place) or by topic (subject). Sites connected with a particular location are found in Regional. Sites connected with a particular topic are found in the remaining top-level categories. Remember: these divisions are within World for non-English language sites.
As you can see, these multiple directories can intersect and overlap. Sites related to mathematics and science generally have no connection with any specific location but belong only in a topic category. Sites of a village's local library or movie theater will have a strong connection with a specific location but aren't likely to be of interest to those looking for information about the topics of libraries or movie theaters. Some sites, such as major companies or sports teams, may be of interest in both the location and topic areas. And don't forget - any of these sites might be in multiple languages.
Let's use the example of a site written in the Italian language about a major publishing company in Italy. It might be listed within both World/Italiano/Affari/Editoria_e_Stampa/Editori and World/Italiano/Regionale/Europa/Italia/Lazio/Provincia_di_Roma/Localit à/Roma/Affari_e_Economia (topic and location for the Italian language directory).
If the site were also in English, add Business/Publishing_and_Printing/Publishing and Regional/Europe/Italy/Regions/Lazio/Localities/Rome/Business_and_Econo my (topic and location for the English language directory).
If they also offer a French version of their site: World/Français/Commerce_et_économie/Imprimerie_et_édition/Editeurs and World/Français/Régional/Europe/Italie/Commerce_et_économie/Imprimer ie_et_édition or perhaps World/Français/Régional/Europe/Italie/Emilie-Romagne/Commerce_et_éc onomie (still topic and location, this time for the French language directory).
It's not difficult as long as you keep in mind the different ways people might look for sites.
Are you wondering about the size of each of these directories relative to each other? We're growing all the time, but we currently have over 2.5 million English-language sites listed and close to 2 million sites in other languages. How many other languages? 80 non-English languages in World, with many more in the Test/World incubator. The ratio is about the same within the Kids_and_Teens directory, with 34 non-English languages represented. Within the English-language directory, roughly half are listed by location and half by topic. Each of the World directories vary, but that seems to be the general ratio.
We all live in an increasingly globalized world, and ODP is here to help.
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More...