What is the purpose of a Directory?

Why not just use a SE?

[limitup]

What exactly is the purpose and usefulness of a directory? If I want to find sites related to X, why wouldn't I just go to my favorite search engine and type in "X"? Why do I need a directory? Is it only the fact that it's assumed I will find higher quality sites, and less spam? When TrustRank is implemented and used to bias and/or filter search results, and web spam all but disappears, will directories serve any purpose?

[podman]

Re the flicker post of 10:46 am on June 1, 2005

When I was looking for something on a spammy or commercial topic, my favorite technique used to be doing a Google search for the words I wanted, restricted to sites listed in the Google directory. The triangulation effect between Google's search and the ODP's directory always gave me what I wanted immediately. Unfortunately there's no easy way to do that anymore.

Maybe I misunderstood - but doesn't a search at [google.com...] do that?

[flicker]

Well, I sure feel like an idiot now! *embarrassed laugh* I'm grateful to you, though; I'd given up on that search strategy after they moved the directory options from the front page.