You cannot travel the webmaster forums, newsgroups, etc. without hearing complaints about the Open Directory Project (ODP) aka DMOZ. For those website owners struggling to get past the piles and miles of spam sites and included into the directory, it is a frustrating and lengthy process generally; many impatient and unsuccessful DMOZ directory submitters readily claim the death of DMOZ and downplay its importance. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the death of DMOZ has been greatly exaggerated; its importance as relevant today as it ever was.

BLUF: An inclusion into the Open Directory Project (DMOZ / ODP) directory is still the only way to get included into the Google Directory.

The OPD directory and subsequent Google Directory - using DMOZ feed, modified by Google - feed into countless other directories including, but not limited to: AOL, A9, Alexa, and many more!

Keeping up your diet of P’s - patience, persistence and professionalism - will help win the war of waiting getting into the DMOZ directory.

Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing everything you read in webmaster forums - DMOZ is not dead, and it is still an important part of your website promotion. Despite personal beliefs and past failures of others to be included should NOT dissuade you from submitting your quality site to the Open Directory Project / DMOZ.

Make sure your site is ready by reading the DMOZ submission and site selection criteria and don’t wait another day - submit away!