• Sites primarily about arts or artists (actors, painters, musicians, etc.) should be listed in the appropriate Arts category.
• Sites primarily devoted to selling products, even artwork or artists'' products, should be listed in Shopping.
• Businesses that serve the arts communities without directly creating art themselves - agents, casting companies, financiers - are listed under the appropriate category of Business.
• Sites about art that is produced or viewed through computers are listed under Arts while sites about computer tools or data formats that can be used either for art or non-artistic work should be listed under Computers.
• Activities that entertain their participants more than the audience belong in Recreation.
• The study of non-artistic communication is listed under Science: Social Sciences.
• Non English language sites belong in World.

The ODP Arts category contains English language sites about art, or "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others." This includes the "liberal arts," concerned with skill of expression in language, speech, and reasoning, and the "fine arts," concerned with affecting aesthetics directly, and especially affecting the sense of beauty. (Quotes and paraphrases from Britannica.com)

Art is an abstract and subjective quality: It can be studied, but cannot be objectively measured, counted, weighed, or absolutely compared; it can only appeal to the viewers or audience's personal senses.

The Business component of the Open Directory generally lists and categorizes English-language sites that cover:

Business as an activity:

• Sites covering industrial and commercial activities involving the exchange of commodities, services, or financial resources.
• Sites offering supporting services, information and resources to business and business people, such as trade associations, educational institutions and training programs, business and economic news, events, etc.

Business as an entity:

• Official web sites for and about corporations and commercial enterprises (including subsidiaries) that manufacture, distribute, market and sell goods and services to other businesses (B2B) and/or consumers (B2C). Note: If the purpose of the site is to serve as a Shopping destination for consumers (or consumers and businesses), the site should be listed in the Shopping branch.
• Sites that exist solely to provide information about a company and its goods and services. Note: a company's brand name sites that focus on providing information to consumers are listed under Home: Consumer Information. See the Consumer Information FAQ for more information.
• Sites that focus on the theoretical, practical or operational aspects of a business enterprise: accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, etc.

Sites generally not listed in the Business category:

• Online shopping: Sites that exist primarily to sell goods and services directly to the consumer should be listed in the Shopping category. See the Shopping category description for more detail.
• Commercial sites (particularly "dot.coms") whose main purpose is to provide information and resources to the consumer, as an end-user of the product or services (e.g. Google, ConsumerSearch.com, XML.com, MP3.com, etc.)
• Sites that focus on providing information to consumers are listed under Home: Consumer Information. See the Consumer Information FAQ for more information.
• Local businesses: Sites for inherently local businesses -- such as types of business that are commonly found in most localities and serve primarily the people and businesses in that area -- are in most cases listed exclusively in Regional categories.

Computers is a high-level category. Please submit your links to a suitable subcategory of this category. There are many to choose from, so please choose carefully. Thank you.

A computer is an electronic device that accepts and processes information mathematically or logically according to programmed instructions. The results of this processing is displayed visually, printed on paper, played audibly, kept in electronic form for transfer to other computers, or used to control some other device or process. Modern computers have become a universal tool, used in most occupations. The Internet itself, including the ODP, this Internet directory, is written on computers, stored on computers, presented by computers, and usually viewed on computers. By that standard every ODP listed site could be listed under this category. But instead, this category contains listings of sites primarily about the use of Computers other than for a purpose fitting one of the other Open Directory top level categories. Sites about artistic use of computers belong in Arts, about scientific use of computers in Science, etc. The ODP Computers category contains sites that are about:

• computers in themselves in general, such as Computer History or Ethics or Computer Science;
• specific individual parts and areas of all or most computers, such as Hardware or Software, not primarily used for or by a single ODP top level category field;
• the use of computers for purposes spanning multiple ODP top level category fields, such as Graphics, when the graphics could be scientific or artistic or business oriented, or for databases or the Internet in general, which store or carry all sorts of information, for whatever purpose;
• fields that are only conceptually possible through the use of computer concepts, such as Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Life.

It is important not to confuse the topic with the tool or medium. Sites devoted to a subject that happens to use computers as tools or a medium should still be listed under the subject. For example, sites devoted to music, even in electronic formats, have a home in Arts/Music/. However, the tools and formats for audio reproduction may also be used for speeches or lectures that are not Arts related, so sites devoted to these generic computer audio tools, data formats, theories, and algorithms that may be used for several purposes should be listed in the appropriate Computers subcategory.

Please find the most appropriate subcategory. No sites will be listed at this level.

Games encompasses all English language web sites about games. The Open Directory Project defines a game as any activity that is meant to entertain the participants and that is governed by a specific set of rules. Games are also usually competitive, typically involving players competing either against each other, against one or more simulated players, or against tasks set by the rules of the game. There are usually ways to win and lose a game spelled out in the rules.

Games covers sites about nearly any sort of game, including Computer and Video Games, Board Games, Roleplaying Games, and Gambling Games, and most other activities that are commonly referred to as games. Sites about sports, recreational activities, or sites whose primary purpose is to sell items have categories specifically for their type of content.

Sports are usually more physical activities, and generally involve some form of physical exertion. Included there are sports that may be recreational rather than competitive activities for most people, such as bicycling.

Recreation is for hobbies, activities, and pastimes that are meant to give enjoyment during a participant's leisure time. These activities are generally not competitive and usually don't have a way to absolutely win or lose. They are not typically governed by a specific set of rules.

Shopping contains sites of which the primary focus is to allow the consumer to select and obtain goods and services over the web. Shopping: Toys and Games: Games is specifically for sites selling games.

As defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: 4th edition 1. The overall condition of an organism at a given time. 2. Soundness, especially of body or mind; freedom from disease or abnormality. This section focuses on topics related to human or animal health, and medicine. Environmental health topics may be found at Science/Environment/Environmental_Health . Other related categories include: Business/Healthcare
Shopping/Health
and Society/Issues/Health

Do not submit sites that advertise rentals, rental services, or merchandise for apartments. Because of the volume of such inappropriate submissions, it is likely that such sites will be deleted.

Submit rental listings or agencies in the appropriate category in the Regional category. Submit sales sites, such as for furniture, in the appropriate Shopping category.

Before submitting your site, please review the Guidelines for Submitting a Site.

Welcome to the Home categories of the Open Directory Project.
If you are interested in home improvement, redecorating, remodelling or do it yourself home repair,
tax preparation, consumer information, gardening, apartment living, family and parenting sites,
recipes or fun places for kids, the Home category has the sites for you.

You cannot suggest sites here. This category exists only to maintain compatibility with SeaMonkey (and other browsers derived from Netscape) that use the Netscape/Sidebar subcategory as a tab directory for their sidebar. Please continue to the Sidebar subcategory or go to the main page.

Please do not attempt to list your site here - please find a more appropriate sub-category. (Only really big multi-national news sites are listed here).

It may be worth looking for an appropriate sub-category under Regional/ or Reference/.

News sites provide material informing, explaining, or commenting on the events and issues of the day. In addition, web sites with information 'about' news and about news reporting are within the scope of the category and its subcategories. This might include essays on current events or sites describing news sources in detail. The Open Directory Project's news section includes a wide variety of news links. The Top: News section is a cross section of some of those links.

To avoid delay in listing, please review prior to submission.

Submit websites once to the most relevant category. Multiple submissions or careless submissions will slow the process.
Review the Recreation sub-topic descriptions to find the most appropriate category for submissions. Find the lowest level category appropriate to the site being submitted.

There are various ODP categories related to Recreation. Review these also for proper category selection:

Arts/ - for activities meant to entertain an audience more than the participant.
Sports/ - for physical competitive activities.
Games/ - for less physical competitive activities.
Shopping/ - for sites primarily intended to sell a product, rather than provide information.
World/ - for sites in any language other than English belong in the appropriate language subcategory.
Any adult material or illegal topics will not be listed in Recreation. These should be submitted to the proper Adult/ category.

Descriptions should include specific information of the unique qualities and features of the site contents. Avoid advertising hype, overuse of capitalization, and emphatic punctuation. Do use the English language, proper grammar, and a spell-checker.

Affiliate sites, multiple URL''s for the same organization, and mirror sites are not desirable.

The ODP reserves the right to alter or replace a proposed description at any time at its sole discretion and editorial judgment.

Please review the additional Category FAQ for further insights.

The Recreation category covers English language sites about hobbies, activities, and pastimes that are meant to give enjoyment during a participant's leisure time. The purpose of the category is to provide resources and information on a multitude of recreational activities. These resources should be of far-reaching or worldwide interest and not mainly of interest to a specific regional area.

Reference is a category for sites devoted to the study of and access to information itself - teaching it (Education), using it (Knowledge Management), storing it (Libraries, Museums) - or sites containing information on topics varied and comprehensive enough that they could not be classified under the other top level Open Directory categories (Dictionaries, Directories, Encyclopedias).

The Regional category is for sites that are in English or use several languages including English.

For sites that use languages other than English, please submit to the appropriate language in the World category.

When suggesting a site, please look for the most suitable subcategory in which your site can be listed. For example, if your site is about a country or state, please try to find the subcategory that deals with that country or state first and submit your site there. Misdirected submissions will be removed without prior notice.

The Regional category contains English language sites about geographical regions. This includes groups of countries in an area, individual nations, states or provinces and localities. The top Regional category covers sites that are global in scope.

1. Sites in languages other than English should be submitted to appropriate World category as listed under the heading "This category in other languages."

2. Sites which sell consumer goods should be submitted to the appropriate subcategory in Shopping, for example Shopping/Recreation/Science_and_Nature. If the shopping site contains substantial general information on its scientific topic the informational component also can be listed in Science.

3. Sites for manufacturers and providers of specialized services generally should be listed in Business. The primary exception is business sites addressed to scientific users listed in Instruments and Supplies (for example laboratory supplies or scientific instruments).

4. Websites explicitly directed at education about scientific topics (including curriculum or class materials) should be listed in /Science/[topic]/Education subcategories (see Science/Educational_Resources. Every entry should be described with its target audience specified (including hints if it is rather for educators or for direct use by pupils/students). Note that many educational sites offer information of broad interest and can be listed in the topical category.

5. Sites about alternative / non-mainstream Science concepts are listed in Science/Anomalies_and_Alternative_Science

6. Academic departments can be double listed under the university in Reference/Education/Colleges_and_Universities and also in /Science/[topic]/Academic_Departments.

Broadly defined to include physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, earth sciences, mathematics, engineering, and technology. The alphabetical index helps to find a particular Science topic, especially if common name differs from one used by scientists.

Sites about alternative / non-mainstream Science concepts are listed in Science/Anomalies_and_Alternative_Science.

Following these guidelines will allow us to add your site to the directory as quickly as possible.

• Find the single most appropriate category for your site. With few exceptions, sites are listed in the directory in one category only.
• Submit your site using your main url. With few exceptions, we do not deep link sites in Shopping.
• Use your actual business name as the title.
• Create a brief description, under 25 words, listing the current content of your site (not the future content)
• Do not use first person verbiage (we, our, us).
• Don''t bother using marketing verbiage. (We''re the best!, Most awesome site, Check it Out!) Marketing verbiage is removed.
• Sites which are mirrors of other sites or that redirect to another site will not be listed. Only the main site will be listed.
• Sites that are affiliates or lists of affiliate links that do not contain original content will not be listed.
• Sites which are gateways or splash pages to affiliate sites will not be added.
• Individual distributors for Multi-Level Marketers are not listed in Shopping.
• Non-English sites should be submitted to the appropriate World/ category.
• Sites which are mainly advertising for a local store and that do not offer online shopping should be submitted to the appropriate Regional/ category.
• All sites are reviewed periodically.
• Sites in the directory are subject to changes in placement, description and possible removal from the directory, based on this review.

All sites submitted are reviewed by the directory''s editors. Sites are listed by the actual business name, followed by a brief description. This description will be based on the information you provide and the review of the website. Sites will be placed in the single most applicable and highest category based on our review. Sites which are continually submitted to the directory, using either a main url, mirrors or sub-pages, will be banned.

Shopping/ contains sites of which the primary focus is to allow the consumer to select and obtain goods and services over the Web. Common examples include:

• Integrated online shopping-cart systems that allow the user to order directly over the Web.
• Online shopping-cart systems that allow the user to generate an order form to be sent to the merchant via fax or mail.
• Simple directories of products and prices that the user can order via mail or phone.

For more information about the Shopping category please see the Shopping FAQ.

Sites with adult content which is not of an artistic, educational, or informative nature are not permitted in Society, but should be send to the Adult tree. In general, sites whose primary purpose is online shopping should be sent to the Shopping tree, and those with a narrow geographic focus are best placed under Regional.

Open Directory's Society section covers the areas of human interaction and people's thoughts, speculations, and aspirations about the world they live in. This category covers topics directly about people, such as People, Ethnicity, Genealogy, and Disabled. And it covers experiences inherent to being human, in Sexuality, Death, Transgendered, Subcultures, Lifestyle Choices, and Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual. Society covers people's relationships with each other in topics such as Relationships, Activism, Advice, Crime, Support Groups, Work, Military, Politics, Issues, Law, Government, and Organizations. It covers people's perceptions and understandings of the universe they live in, in Philosophy, Paranormal, Urban Legends, and Religion and Spirituality. And it covers people's relationship to time, in topics such as History, Future, and Holidays. Several other major Open Directory sections have categories related to Society. For example, categories about people who are important to society principally because of their contributions to science, the arts, sports, or local areas are located in Science, Arts, Sports, and Regional, respectively. Subjects related to the family are in Home/Family. The relationship between science and society is covered in Science/Science_in_Society. The Arts and Humanities, which are an important expression of society, have their own categories. News about society is in News. Many socially relevant reference materials about society can be found in Reference, such as Reference/Museums/Cultural, Reference/Archives, and Reference/Education.

Sites will not be listed at the top level of Sports. Please do a search to find a more appropriate location in one of the subcategories.

If you cannot find an appropriate subcategory, you can submit it at the closest appropriate level with a suggestion of where you think it should go. It is okay to suggest creation of a new category if the one you want does not currently exist, although creation of new categories is at the discretion of Open Directory Project editors. They may feel that your submission fits into one of the existing categories.

more information (editors only)

Sports can be generally defined as competitive events involving physical exertion. Included here are sports that may be recreational rather than competitive activities for most people, such as bicycling. If you don't find what you're looking for here, check the related categories Games (for competitive but non-physical activities, like chess) or Recreation: Outdoors (for outdoor physical activities that aren't normally competitive, such as hiking).

Please note that this category is only for non-English non-Adult sites. Sites defined in the Adult/ guidelines as being an Adult site belongs elsewhere.

Note that Kids_and_Teens/International exists for sites that are orientated for those under 18.

Please submit sites as far as possible under the category for the correct language. If you are unsure of what language the site is in, there are a few tools that will tell you, including The XRCE Language Identifier or The Textcat Language Guesser Demo or Zaphod. Sending a non-English site to the appropriate language will help ensure a timely review as well as remove duplication of effort.

Thank you.

This category contains the non-English language versions of the Open Directory Project. Both the category headers and site descriptions should be written in the language of the sites they link to.

A more detailed description can be found at dmoz.org/world.html, or in the unofficial FAQ.