Subject directories are useful when you want to know more on broad-based subjects, such as:
Let us consider each of these in turn, but first some words about the strengths of subject directories. They are organized and they are selective. When you are not sure of the exact term to search for, browsing a subject directory's subject categories will help you find those keywords. This is actually quite useful for preparing certain search engine searches. Browsing for keywords will also provide a context for your search. Remember: subject directories are usually smaller than search engines, have much more focused and higher quality links, but are poor for exhaustive searching.
Say, for example, you are thinking about a beach vacation and want to evaluate some choices. On the Open Directory you would choose the travel category and browse away, finding beaches all over the world. If instead you start in search of a specific black-sand beach on Grenada, you will have to go down many multiple-choice paths before concluding that a particular subject directory does or does not have information about it. If you are set on going to Grenada, you would be better off submitting "Grenada" to a search engine.
Let us say you are looking for information about basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Logically, you would start looking under basketball. Due to a subject directory's file-within-a-file system, you would have to start at recreation, then go to sports, then basketball then National Basketball Association, then players, then Shaquille O 'Neal. Using a keyword search of either a subject directory or a search engine in this case would quickly get you to pages about the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. When comparing search directories and search engines, here is the difference: in a subject directory tool like the Open Directory you will find several categories in which O'Neal pops up, all presorted and indexed by a human being. A search on the Google search engine for "Shaquille O'Neal" would retrieve more than 162,000 hits - more than you have time to sort through.
Sometimes you need to find a directory that is focused on a specific subject. Specialized directories are time-saving devices that help you find very specific information quickly. Specialized directories, also known as meta sites or resource guides, give you some distinct advantages. They let you learn from someone else's expertise. For searching, they tend to be more comprehensive than general directories, are much smaller in size, and often more current.
If you know exactly what you want, a search engine is the place to go. If you are looking for information about types of products or specific product information and had no luck at manufacturer websites, try a subject directory. Using a subject directory works especially well if:
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Jeffrey S. Lambert at 08272010
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