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A DMOZ IPO would have a strong success. I would invest in it!
A DMOZ IPO would have a strong success.
The problem is that DMOZ generates absolutely no revenue, zilch, zero, nada. It loses money. Even were it to be privatized, according to the ODP Social Contract [dmoz.org] editors could take a copy of the latest RDF dump and re-start the project.
We foster a self-regulating community governed by community-driven standards. We encourage the community to regulate itself, and to provide the checks and balances needed to ensure that its members follow mutually accepted codes of conduct and editorial standards. We depend on the honesty and integrity of the volunteer editors to ensure the directory is high quality, user-friendly, and free of abuse."
So why do they pay STAFF?
One of the two staff members acts as the legal representative of the directory, and participates in those discussions that could impact the legal standing of the organization. The other one maintains the infrastructure.
The thing is, that just editing is not enough to keep a directory alive. You also need to maintain some significant hardware, software, and connectivity, and you better make sure that you have a strong group of corporate lawyers backing you up when necessary (for copyright issues, legal threats by submitters, handling extreme cases of abuse, etc.).
At the moment...
I am sure that having a company with 50.000 volunteer at NO COST is a bargain. You could profit from that directory in several ways, satisfying searchers and webmasters.
Think about the possibility to sell their search logs or asking a small fee just to cover hardware, software, connectivity and lawyers.
Think about the possibility to sell their search logs or asking a small fee just to cover hardware, software, connectivity and lawyers.
The problem lies with the editors. Once the ODP starts to earn money off the labor of editors, a lot of nasty legal issues arise. The only way the ODP can exist, and still have a legion of editors working for free, is if it doesn't earn a single cent.
Remember that ??
What if...
Dazz
As has been made clear above, there *are* no current profits, and becoming commercial would meet the AOL legal issue of how *not to pay* the editors, whose work is the basis of ODP, and therefore of those potential profits.
Realistically, selling off ODP would have to be to someone who wanted it *as is*. Which means Google, to protect the source of their directory, or a rival who either wanted that source - or wanted to undermine Google.
But how could that work? Even if say, Altavista's owners bought ODP ... they could not stop Google using the source.
So there's only one potential buyer. And that's Google.
I predict more radical shakeouts in the search field...
It would probably take some creative accounting to show that AOL makes money indirectly through ODP by using Google, but then again there is no shortage of creative accountants at AOL or any number of other companies these days.
If AOL is spun off from AOLTW, or if Netscape is spun off from AOL, or if Mozilla is spun off from Netscape (dmoz=Directory Mozilla), then the cost becomes a little more prominent, I suppose. I don't know if the ODP staff has any friends on the board :-).
I don't know of anyone who'd be interested in buying just the ODP. Google might, since they have integrated their main product closely with ODP data. I suppose LS or YH could integrate their listings with ODP, i.e. retaining their regular pay services but sending free submissions to volunteers, but it wouldn't make business sense for them. People aren't shying away from using Yahoo because they have a bad directory.
One outside possibility is that ODP could be spun off as a separate foundation funded by grants. I could not fathom the cost structure for all the bandwidth, disk space, and recordkeeping, but if a case can be made for keeping the directory active as an open content alternative to corporate-owned directories, there is money to be applied for.
I wonder if this might ironically impinge on the open nature of the directory far more than its current corporate sponsorship-- with money tight, already-delayed system improvements might be delayed further, and the need to please donors/sponsors might put pressure on editors to, say, work on Arts/Music categories so the arts foundation will be happy.
IMHO, the present situation is ideal. Second best would be for Google or FAST to absorb it so long as they did not in any way dictate content or listings with the exception of that required by appropriate local laws.
It makes me sick to thing of AOL selling or in any way getting rid of ODP.
