In addition to the Netscape Search service, Netcenter also includes a directory of the best Web sites, called the Netscape Open Directory. The Open Directory lists the best of the Web, sorted into 15 major categories, as selected by Open Directory's editors. The Open Directory includes both commercial and personal sites; excellence within a category is the only criterion.

There's something even more unique about the Netscape Open Directory -its users are its editors! The Netscape Open Directory is the first open content Web directory to harness the knowledge and creativity of "volunteer editors," letting users share their Web experiences with other users. With users as editors, the Open Directory has nearly 7,000 contributing editors, who have listed more than 340,000 individual sites.

You access the Netscape Open Directory by clicking the Find Web Sites link on the Netscape Netcenter home page, or by going directly to directory.netscape.com. To look for a particular site, you can either click the category on the Open Directory page (shown in Figure 9.4), or enter a search phrase in the query box at the top of the page and click the Search button. The results page lists the best sites (indicated by a star icon) first and the rest in alphabetical order, and gives a description of what you can find at each.

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Figure 9.4  The Netscape Open Directory features the best of the Web as chosen by other Web users.

Use the Netscape Open Directory when you value quality over quantity of results.

Become an Open Directory Editor  To join the Netscape Open Directory project, go to a particular category you'd like to help maintain, then click the Become an Editor link and follow the onscreen instructions. You don't have to be an editor to recommend a new URL, however; just click the Add URL link on any category page.