Johnette,

The A-Force site came to me via my involvement as sole and lonely editor of
the histo presto section of the Open Directory Project (ODP). Whenever
someone, in a global sense, decides to find a place to list their histo
presto web site they go searching for search engines to list with. Open
Directory is one such search engine, of many (and not the one I use when I am
looking for anything -- Google is my current favorite), but my involvement
affords me to have a somewhat personal net to collect new information and
contacts. I've come across some very interesting stuff through this project.

I also edit an eclectic collection of contemporary short stories listed by
author, though not with as much enthusiasm as with the histo presto. People
list their web site URL's for inclusion in the directory and it is my
pleasure to filter them as I please. Usually this is what I am doing in the
last gasp of a Friday afternoon when I am brain dead and too tired to jump up
and drive home.

I now have 216 URL listings on histo presto. This is somewhat of a
self-regulating project as the robots for Open Directory go out into I-space
and confirm that the URL's are functional, and saves me the hassle of trying
to build up a web page of links... besides that, I am listing found stuff,
sort of, and not whatever fits in my own narrow perspective to seek out. I
also am forgiven the obligation, as happens with some of the other
public-editor directories to have to write winded promotional puff pieces to
explain that I am the expert of experts. The selection process in itself
creates enough of a *character* to the list.

This is also how I found the neat site for stone suppliers. I would like to
see that the listing can become a resource to preservationeers outside the
stream of the existing academic oriented preservation lists. I particularly
look for sites that offer head tools for hands-on field work. I am also
amazed, curious, perplexed at how the UK stonemasons are so much further
tuned into using the Internet as a marketing tool than Amerikan stonemasons.

If anyone knows of someone with an histo presto website send them my way --
DO NOT SEND ME THEIR URL... let them list the URL themselves with ODP and I
will do the work from there.

Business: Industries: Construction and Maintenance: Historic Preservation

http://dmoz.org/Business/Industries/Construction_and_Maintenance/Historic_Pres
ervation/

About the Open Directory Project (from their own blurb)

As the web grows, automated search engines and directories with small
editorial staffs will be unable to cope with the volume of sites. The Open
Directory Project's goal is to produce the most comprehensive directory of
the web, by relying on a vast army of volunteer editors. The web continues to
grow at staggering rates. Automated search engines are increasingly unable to
turn up useful results to search queries. The small paid editorial staffs at
commercial directory sites can't keep up with submissions, and the quality
and comprehensiveness of their directories has suffered. Link rot is setting
in and they can't keep pace with the growth of the Internet. Instead of
fighting the explosive growth of the Internet, the Open Directory provides
the means for the Internet to organize itself. As the Internet grows, so do
the number of net-citizens. These citizens can each organize a small portion
of the web and present it back to the rest of the population, culling out the
bad and useless and keeping only the best content. Usenet has its share of
experts and good information, but you have to be an expert yourself to tell
the good from the bad.  The Open Directory is a self-regulating republic
where experts can collect their recommendations, without including noise and
misinformation. Like any community, you get what you give. The Open Directory
provides the opportunity for everyone to contribute.

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