Contributing Editors vary a lot in how much they write. Some devote only a line to each site, while others write entire paragraphs. Ratings Most sites are rated from one to five stars, and it looks like half stars aren't used. You can search just the topic names, or the original articles written by Contributing Editors, but I can't find a way to search through the links. In addition to its links on many topics that qualify it as a Web directory, Suite 101 has original articles on each topic that are put out periodically by Contributing Editors, and a discussion area for each topic.
Membership is required to participate in group discussions, but it's free to sign up.
Both directories have their individual parts maintained by enthusiasts on the subjects. Both have original articles and discussion areas for the subjects. Both have a standard format throughout their sites. The differences between the two are less obvious, but are interesting. By contrast, Suite 101 has no ads, and I've never seen it advertised anywhere else.