A Web directory is a store of internet sites, organized by subject. These websites are collected by humans and not by a machine, because it is necessary to verify each site’s contents so as to classify them correctly.
They should not be mistaken for search engines, which look through the whole net when performing a search. Directories can only access their own limited database, and in order to have it expanded, new addresses must always be manually added by its mantainers. This minimizes the number of possible results, but it also assures more precision on their actual content, in contrast with keyword-based automatic search engines.
Some of the most popular web directories include Yahoo! and The Open Directory Project (also known as Dmoz).
References:
- Web search engine (March 05, 2009). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 06, 2009.
- Web Directory – What is a Web Directory (2009). In About.com, by Wendy Boswell. Retrieved March 06, 2009.
- Directorio web (February 4, 2009). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 06, 2009.
