What are they?
A web directory is a collection of websites, usually vetted and categorised by a real, live human being. General web directories will usually have many websites organised into a "tree" of categories beginning at the top with very general ones such as "Shopping" and then moving down to more specific categories such as "Clothing" - "Shoes" - "Women's Shoes". Each category will have web sites related to that topic, often with a short description to give the reader an idea of what that particular web site has to offer.
What are they good for?
Web directories are good for general searches. And because they are usually human-edited, the web sites listed in a directory will generally be of a higher quality than what you might find on a search engine.
When should you use one?
If you are "browsing" you will want to compare a number of web sites. A web directory is good for this as you simply find the topic you're after and look through the sites listed in that category.
Specialist Directories
What are they?
Very similar to specialist search engines, specialist directories only list web sites related to a specific topic/demographic/location.
What are they good for?
While specialist search engines help to narrow your search, specialist directories also help to ensure quality as the web sites should have been pre-vetted by the directory's human editors.
When should you use one?
Specialist directories are useful for finding several websites about a specific topic or region. For example: if you wanted to find the web sites for 20 accountants in Derbyshire you would use a UK financial or accountants' directory. If you wanted to find web sites for all of the playgroups in Hampshire you would use a UK childcare or playgroup directory.
