It looks like dmoz (the open directory project) has been sandboxed by Google. If this is, indeed, the case, then the world of SEO as we know it is about to undergo a critical (and long overdue change The idea that Google should be influence by a directory, precisely what it's supposed to replace, is completely ludicrous. As Search Engine Land explains:

The Open Directory's home page appears to have gone missing from Google's search results. For example, a search on dmoz (the Open Directory's nickname) does not return the home page in the search results. Here is a screen capture:

Similarly, searches for open directory or open directory project also don't list the site at the usual dmoz.org address. Yes, the screenshot shows a page at search.dmoz.org -- but normally, the home page would be listed at www.dmoz.org or just dmoz.org (as you can see at Yahoo, Microsoft and Ask, for example).

Dmoz's seemingly whimsical and arbitrary inclusion process has, over the years, earned it quite a few enemies. So it's no surprise that that reputable bloggers are rejoicing:

Fingers crossed that is an indication Dmoz is finally going to go to the website graveyard in the sky. Dmoz has been corrupt for as long as I can remember, I once waited more than 2 years for my site submission to be accepted. This sort of timescale was the rule and not the exception.

The kind of corruption that Kevin (above) is talking about, moreover, goes beyond mere bureaucratic lags and into full fledged extortion. As ShoeMoney reported last month:

A while back I got a email from a guy claiming to be a DMOZ editor saying that I had to pay him $5,000.00 or he would have my site: shoemoney.com removed from the dmoz.

I thought nothing of it…. then today I got a email from him saying it was removed and I might want to rethink not paying him. I thought I would check just for grins.

It was removed… WOW

dmoz… corrupt… no…..

I never thought I would say this but I don’t even care anymore. I am stunned Google still uses this as there business directory as its the most corrupt “editorial” system EVER and especially since now they are trying to talk about paid links and crap…

Seriously I would love to see how they defend this one… How does shoemoney.com NOT belong in DMOZ??

Google seriously its time for you to aquire a business directory that has paid inclusion. There is so much porn and spam in the dmoz its a huge black eye for you. Business.com just got scooped up but there is another one that might be able to get got for a nice price *cough* best of the web *cough*

Now even though ShoeMoney disclaimer blatantly says that "You should assume everything written on this blog is a lie," that neither mean that his story was, nor that dmoz isn't terribly antiquated. This is the age of Web 2.0, the dawn of the semantic web. The idea that directories could exist along side search engine (never mind search engines deferring to them) is completely absurd. It's time for us all to move on. It was fun kids, but we have social operating systems to build.