The History of The Directory @ V7N
April 7, 2006
On April 7, 2006, I asked my graphic designer to come up with a design for a V7N Directory. Basically I just asked for a design that matched the “feel and look” of my blog.
Several hours later my graphic designer, Juggopop, presented me with this draft.
The design was for a general web directory. The problem was that I did not have a general web directory in mind when I asked for the design. I had a Webmaster & Web Services Directory in mind.
The directory I had in mind would have categories such as SEO Consultants, Web Designers, Copywriters, Web Hosts. And webmaster resources such as SEO Forums, SEO Blogs, Web Directories and Professional Organizations.
However, I liked the design so much that I held my tongue and gave it some thought. (The miscommunication was my fault anyway, so I still get to take credit for the idea of a V7N Web Directory.)
After giving it further thought, I decided to go ahead and have Juggopop slice and code it.
That’s the short version.
The Long Version
Directly proceeding the birth of the V7 Web Directory, I had again submitted a website of personal importance to me – my blog – to the Open Directory Project.
Weeks and months passed, and the ODP refused to comment on the submission. One editor simply said that any website belonging to John Scott would be problematic. I assume that is because I am an ex-editor of the ODP, and have long been a critic of its policies.
Now, everybody who is familiar with the ODP would agree that it is a failure. But despite being a failure, it continues to be a topic of discussion and a die-hard issue.
Why?
Because it was the hope of netizens everywhere. Across the Internet, everybody hoped that DMOZ would be the arbiter of good and evil. DMOZ would be the one place on the Internet that everybody could contribute to and the result would be a directory that represented us all. The noble rhetoric of DMOZ - “Republic of the Web” and the “Definitive Catalog of the Web” – we bought into this.
When you put crap like that out there, webmasters who pour hours and days and months into their websites believe – rightly – that they deserve a damn listing in the Open Directory Project.
The Open Directory, however, is not about any of that any more. Most editors believe their primary responsibility is to keep websites out of the directory.
Insofar as the Open Directory Project has abandoned the goal of creating a truly definitive catalog of the web, I figure it needs to be done, and I ain’t got nothing better to do.
Seriously, I do tend to be a bit arrogant, but I think it can be done, and it will require a lot of money and a lot of promotion but V7 generates plenty of revenues and I trust it can be done.
The Game Plan
The game plan for the V7N directory involves several features we believe will make it the best web directory on the Internet.
Openness
Whereas the Open Directory Project has embraced a refusal to communicate with webmasters, the Directory @ V7N will be entirely transparent. If a website submission is declined, we will state why it was declined. A webmaster who takes time of his life to submit to the directory has that much coming to him.
Free Submission
Of course, any web directory gunning for “Definitive Catalog of the Web” needs to accept and encourage submissions. Submit your site, just be sure to read the submission guidelines beforehand.
Democratic
Any submission rejection may be overruled by a majority vote in the V7 Community Forums. Checks and balances, baby.
Paid Staff
In order to create a “Definitive Catalog of the Web” we need full time staff that knows web directories.
Self Sufficient
“I think that [DMOZ] will have to become some kind of commercial enterprise if it's going to fulfill its mission”. - Rich Skrenta, Founder of DMOZ
Rich Skrenta understood this. So do we. It’s not just about being able to pay people to get the job done, either. It’s about having a commercial type organizational hierarchy that provides solid leadership and is able to make decisions when then chiefs are squabbling over listing or delisting one website.
On April 7, 2006, I asked my graphic designer to come up with a design for a V7N Directory. Basically I just asked for a design that matched the “feel and look” of my blog.
Several hours later my graphic designer, Juggopop, presented me with this draft.
The design was for a general web directory. The problem was that I did not have a general web directory in mind when I asked for the design. I had a Webmaster & Web Services Directory in mind.
The directory I had in mind would have categories such as SEO Consultants, Web Designers, Copywriters, Web Hosts. And webmaster resources such as SEO Forums, SEO Blogs, Web Directories and Professional Organizations.
However, I liked the design so much that I held my tongue and gave it some thought. (The miscommunication was my fault anyway, so I still get to take credit for the idea of a V7N Web Directory.)
After giving it further thought, I decided to go ahead and have Juggopop slice and code it.
That’s the short version.
The Long Version
Directly proceeding the birth of the V7 Web Directory, I had again submitted a website of personal importance to me – my blog – to the Open Directory Project.
Weeks and months passed, and the ODP refused to comment on the submission. One editor simply said that any website belonging to John Scott would be problematic. I assume that is because I am an ex-editor of the ODP, and have long been a critic of its policies.
Now, everybody who is familiar with the ODP would agree that it is a failure. But despite being a failure, it continues to be a topic of discussion and a die-hard issue.
Why?
Because it was the hope of netizens everywhere. Across the Internet, everybody hoped that DMOZ would be the arbiter of good and evil. DMOZ would be the one place on the Internet that everybody could contribute to and the result would be a directory that represented us all. The noble rhetoric of DMOZ - “Republic of the Web” and the “Definitive Catalog of the Web” – we bought into this.
When you put crap like that out there, webmasters who pour hours and days and months into their websites believe – rightly – that they deserve a damn listing in the Open Directory Project.
The Open Directory, however, is not about any of that any more. Most editors believe their primary responsibility is to keep websites out of the directory.
Insofar as the Open Directory Project has abandoned the goal of creating a truly definitive catalog of the web, I figure it needs to be done, and I ain’t got nothing better to do.
Seriously, I do tend to be a bit arrogant, but I think it can be done, and it will require a lot of money and a lot of promotion but V7 generates plenty of revenues and I trust it can be done.
The Game Plan
The game plan for the V7N directory involves several features we believe will make it the best web directory on the Internet.
Openness
Whereas the Open Directory Project has embraced a refusal to communicate with webmasters, the Directory @ V7N will be entirely transparent. If a website submission is declined, we will state why it was declined. A webmaster who takes time of his life to submit to the directory has that much coming to him.
Free Submission
Of course, any web directory gunning for “Definitive Catalog of the Web” needs to accept and encourage submissions. Submit your site, just be sure to read the submission guidelines beforehand.
Democratic
Any submission rejection may be overruled by a majority vote in the V7 Community Forums. Checks and balances, baby.
Paid Staff
In order to create a “Definitive Catalog of the Web” we need full time staff that knows web directories.
Self Sufficient
“I think that [DMOZ] will have to become some kind of commercial enterprise if it's going to fulfill its mission”. - Rich Skrenta, Founder of DMOZ
Rich Skrenta understood this. So do we. It’s not just about being able to pay people to get the job done, either. It’s about having a commercial type organizational hierarchy that provides solid leadership and is able to make decisions when then chiefs are squabbling over listing or delisting one website.
