The term "search engine" is often used generically to describe both true search engines and directories. They are not the same. The difference is how listings are compiled.

The first directory you've probably used is the phone book yellow pages. Businesses are listed by categories. Even though a business might sell thousands of items it is listed in the directory, (the phone book), under a category, such as clothing store or hardware store.

Like a phone book, on a web based directory general categories are listed. These categories are then subdivided, and the new categories subdivided again.

Let's think of how a phone book could be divided into a web site as a directory service. The general categories could be listings like places to shop, places to eat, professional services. Then places to shop could be subdivided into categories such as clothing stores, hardware stores, building supplies. A sub category such as clothing stores could be subdivided into topics such shoes, men's fashions, women's fashions, and childrens fashions.

By the nature of how they are set up, directories are made to be used for cruising. You may have a general destination or topic in mind, or you just may be looking for somewhere to go, so a directory is a good place to start.

Directories or Index Sites - Places To Find General Information

Web site directories are human-crafted categories of selected Web sites. Either paid professionals or volunteers develop a hierarchy of categories and then select the suitable Web pages that fit into the categories. Users can locate Web pages on a specific topic by navigating down through the categories, which get more detailed with each step, until they reach a list of related Web sites.

For example DMOZ, are based on information put together by human editors. The editors, subjectively, decide which sites to list, and, in which categories. In a directory, the content of your pages does not directly affect your listing, what does matter is where in the directory a site is submitted, and the impression of the editor as to whether that site is proper to the category.

The advantage of directories is that humans can do a better job than any software of identifying interesting, worthwhile, or relevant sites. Also, with a directory once you find a category that describes your interestsm you should find many similar sites in that category that interest you.

The disadvantage of directories is that the human element can cause the speed in which sites get listed is slow and sometimes use very subjective criteria.

By the nature of how they are set up, directories are made to be used for cruising. You may have a general destination or topic in mind, or you just may be looking for somewhere to go, so a directory is a good place to start. Human intervention can lead to more selective resources, the down-side is the web changes so quickly that it is virtually impossible for a mere mortal to stay on top of everything.

But let's say you have a very specific destination in mind, or have a need to find some very specific information, then the power of the web is released through a search engine. While a directory may be a quick way to find some general information, search engines are more powerful and can help find more specific information.