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Re: [APML] OT: Open Directory
I'm not sure if I should advocate for the ODP right now, especially because I've just discovered I have some real differences of opinion with certain aspects of how they run things.
I do see the following among the terms of the ODP agreement: "To grant Netscape Communications Corporation a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, publish, copy, edit, modify, or create derivative works from my submission." Yes, I do think that that language goes too far. I guess they figure people are so strongly motivated to be listed, that they don't mind that clause. I think Yahoo Directory has a similar clause. Although we might ask what such entities will do with respect to that clause in the future, thus far we have seen only good behavior IMO.
By convention on the internet, anyone has the right to link to any other site on the internet. Neither Yahoo nor ODP nor anyone else needs your permission to link to your site and to attach a brief description on the link. The editors at ODP are encouraged to seek out sites and list them. You should probably be glad for that, because if an editor adds you (as opposed to submitting yourself) then I'd say you have not agreed to the terms quoted above.
One violation I have seen is by Google. They rehost our web pages and (downsized version of) our images. I don't think the violation is strong enough for me to worry much about. I suppose you could make the argument that it's a slippery slope. Ownership and privacy rights, once lost, are often very difficult to get back.
Anyway, if you have any doubt, my current advice to is hold off listing your site at ODP. If you feel strongly enough about it, you can use the change URL form and ask to be excluded.
Matt
At 12:27 14-12-02 -0500, Chris & Jennifer Cook wrote:
>I have not read all the fine print yet but what I want to know is why is my
>website listed when I never signed up?
>This is a quite suspicious.
>
>There are also many other APML members listed. A quick scan brought up
>Chuck Vaughn, Jon Kolb, Tony Hallas, John Boudreau, Chris Schur, Phillip
>Perkins, Jeff Ball, Marty Germano and Rob Gendler. Did all you guys sign
>up for this?
--
Matt BenDaniel
matt@starmatt.com
http://starmatt.com
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