jk3210 - 7:13 pm on Nov 29, 2006 (gmt 0)

Remember when Yahoo used to look like this? [web.archive.org]

The first nail in the Directory coffin was when Yahoo took their directory off the front page. That was the "canery in the coal mine" for directories.

Then around 2003(?), Google devalued directories in the serps...

Now bCentral calls it quits...

Certainly looks like a downward spiral to me. And when you think about it, the reason is obvious: In this day and age when SEs can pull-up the exact thing a user is looking for, why go to (and through) a directory. Wasted effort.

Webmasters often do it to see what sites are available on a subject, but I suspect users won't in the future because they want specific answers to their questions, not a broad overview of what spam and MFAs have been built to pander to them.

Search Engine:
type [orlando condos], bang, there's a list of all of them

Directory:
click [regional]
click [US]
click [florida]
click [orlando]
click [real estate]
click [condos]
bang, there's a list of every site who A.) has paid or B.) done a recip or C.) knows the owner.

Big difference.