victor - 9:43 am on Jul 23, 2007 (gmt 0)

texasville:

Nonsense. Because of the dump, a link in the ODP can result in 100's or even 1000's of inbound links over time. It puts you into the Google directory. It shouldn't. The whole dump process and the feed off of the information is what has corrupted and debased the ODP.

But but should. It is exactly what should happen. Google is a licensed user of ODP data. If a website in the ODP dump did not appear in Google Directory, then there would be some sort of bug or glitch in the data feed. (Wome people say there is, given that the Google Directory is increasingly stale; but whatever the problem it does not seem to be at the ODP's end).

It needs to be cut off to give the ODP a net neutrality.

You may have the process backwards here. The ODP predates Google. So if anything needs to change, it is the data users who came onto the scene after the OPD's creation. That in includes Google and (probably) most of the contributers to this thread).

Better that they get together and decide their response to the ODP, rather than a continuous stream of critics at WMW asking that the ODP change to suit their needs.