A Web directory is a tool for finding Web pages with information about a particular topic. Topics are arranged into categories, so you can find lists of Web sites simply by clicking increasingly specific category names. Human editors set up the category structure and select the Web sites to include, applying judgment so sites meet standards of quality and relevance. The AltaVista Web directory sorts the sites by relevance. The AltaVista Directory and AltaVista Search are two different methods of locating information on the Web.
Most people use both tools, sometimes in a single session.
The AltaVista Directory is useful when you're interested in a topic and wonder what's available about it. Just as you might visit a bookstore and wander over to the cookbook section to see what books on Italian cooking are available. The bookstore uses the equivalent of a directory system-it arranges its items into categories so you can browse and walk out with five books you had never heard of until you saw them on the shelf. The AltaVista Directory lists Web pages by category. Human editors evaluate Web sites and place them into categories.