What is there to keep ODP from selling out?

[J_Burton]

As a former editor in the GOTO directory project, I have a strong feeling of betrayal. GOTO utilized my services free of charge to develop their base directory. One day I logged on to discover that the entire system was shut down and a “pay for placement” directory stood in it's place with the work myself and other's providing the backbone of GOTO's directory.

What will prevent ODP (Netscape Communications Corporation) from doing the same in the very near future?

ODP has a cute little social contract page set up to make it’s users and editors feel good about the work they do. Unfortunately, "Our Social Contract with the Web Community" is prefaced with a statement explaining they can do whatever they want with the directory whenever they feel like it for no apparent reason, so it's basically useless.

[dmoz.org...]

[bird]

explaining they can do whatever they want with the directory whenever they feel like it for no apparent reason,

True, but so can you [dmoz.org] (well, close to "whatever", anyway):

Netscape grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify and create derivative works from, and distribute and publish the Open Directory and your derivative works thereof, subject to all of the terms and conditions of this Open Directory License.

We can't really expect AOL/Netscape to garantee the operation of the ODP site and editing infrastructure for all eternity. But, in contrast to <edit>Go.com</edit>, if they should happen to decide they want to close it, the data will still be there and available to those who want to continue offering a similar service.

(edited by: bird at 10:44 pm (utc) on Jan. 27, 2002)

[makemetop]

Am I missing something? I always thought GoTo was always a PPC engine. Is this a part of internet history I missed out on?

[bird]

Ahem, you're correct to be confused here...
What we're talking about was actually Go.com ;)

[Laisha]

Welcome, J_Burton.

What will prevent ODP (Netscape Communications Corporation) from doing the same in the very near future?

Frankly, nothing. However, I haven't seen any indication that they will, and it would have to undergo a lot of changes if they ever decide to.

Am I missing something? I always thought GoTo was always a PPC engine.

Actually, it wasn't always a PPC engine. It had volunteer editors until just before it went PPC.