The WWW Virtual Library Consists of over 50 independently maintained subject guides to Internet resources. The Argus Clearinghouse Similar to the WWW Virtual Library. Contains links to hundreds of independently maintained subject guides, each focusing on one particular topic. Argus provides access to a greater number of individual subject directories than does the WWW Virtual Library, but the quality of the subject guides is less consistent. Argus is in the process of rating each subject directory using a sytem of 1 to 5 check marks.
Directories are collections of Internet sites organized by subject.
Users click on a topic of interest, and then browse through the list of resources in that category, much like using an old card catalog in a library. This human involvement makes directories quite different from search engines. Because directories are created through human effort rather than by an automated process, they are much smaller than search engines. Although smaller than search engines, directories provide a more focused and organized approach to locating resources because editors have arranged the Internet sites into subject categories. In some cases, the resources have also been rated and reviewed.