Zeal

Zeal -  Zeal was a human edited directory of Web sites and Web pages, where editors could ranked the pages for quality.. It was somewhat similar to the dmoz directory except that editors could rate Web sites for quality, and except that some of the editors were paid.  Zeal was  launched in 1999, and bought by LookSmart for $20 million in October 2000. It combined the work of Looksmart’s paid editors with that of volunteers. Editors and contributors wrote profiles of websites and submitted them to relevant subcategories of the Zeal database.

Anyone could register and become an introductory level editor. This made it possible to submit and promote your own Web site. To advance as a Zeal volunteer, one needed to pass tests and contribute defined numbers of sites and listings. The more advanced editors, called Zealots and Expert Zealots, were responsible for developing the community and helping other “Community Members”. Zeal volunteers came from all over the world including USA, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Spain, Switzerland, Japan and New Zealand.

The directory database was used by Looksmart and its search engine partners including MSN, Lycos and Altavista.

When MSN withdrew its support, Zeal’s traffic declined considerably. It was closed on 28th March 2006.

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