This article will cover the following:
System Upgrades
Change in Editors’ Area
Division of Ownership
Seeking New Search Partners
New Submission Specialist Program
Our Future Plans
— System Upgrades —
Over the past several months, GoGuides.Org has been undergoing some changes. One of the most notable changes is in the scripts that make the directory run. We are still in the process of writing and upgrading that code. Over the next couple of weeks, the foundation for the entire system will be put firmly in place. Expect a dramatic increase in system speed for both searching the directory and browsing topics once these final building blocks are put in place.
— Change in Editors’ Area —
From the public side of the directory, everything will appear basically the same. But for editors in the system, there is going to be a dramatic change in the way edits are allowed. Our long time editors will remember the old editing system that was in place for the volunteer editors at go.com.
GoGuides.Org was created by Mr. Robert Barger just days after the closure of that volunteer directory. Many of the volunteers that still edit the directory today have fond memories of that old system, so it is a case of going back to our roots now that we are putting a point system back in place. We have no set time limit for when this part of the project will be completed, but our programmers are working on this daily, so hopefully everything will be fixed in the near future.
— Division of Ownership —
In December, GoGuides was put on the market. We were approached by numerous individuals and corporations showing great interest in buying the directory. We were astonished by the offers that poured in and the amounts that some search engines were willing to pay for this project. In the end, it was Mr. Barger’s sole decision to pull GoGuides back off the market. This decision was due largely to the outcry from the volunteers in the community and his passion for this project. Because of those factors, we withdraw all offers to sell. It has always been our utmost desire at GoGuides to see this community continue to grow and prosper. Keeping the same owner at the helm will ensure this community stays on track.
The most notable change to announce is the break-up of partnerships in the directory. Shortly after starting GoGuides, Mr. Barger extended a form of shared ownership in the directory to Mrs. Laurie Coby. Over the years, this partnership has proven very successful for the community.
But as the directory has evolved, so has Mrs. Coby’s experience and knowledge in the search engine field. Mrs. Coby has now decided to broaden her horizons and take on the challenging task of running an independent directory at www.web-beacon.com.
Mr. Barger holds full copyright and trademark authority over all intellectual property in the directory and has now willingly provided Mrs. Coby with a copy of the GoGuides.Org directory and has granted her a full end user’s license to use and improve upon that intellectually property as needed in her new project. With the signing of this agreement finalized, Mr. Barger now has a full controlling interest in GoGuides and Mrs. Coby has a full controlling interest in Web-Beacon.
Although going down our own separate paths, both directories are expected to play a key role in the mapping and indexing of the Internet. Both owners have different visions for the editors’ sections of the directories so it will be very exciting to watch how these two projects evolve. This break-up in ownership also puts an end to any speculation and concerns about ownership in either directory. Both directories will continue to have a close working relationship with one another and plan to work jointly on various future projects.
— Seeking New Search Partners —
GoGuides is seeking to form long-lasting partnerships with other directories and search engines. If you would like to contact us regarding a possible partnership, please email us at: teamsupport@goguides.org
— New Submission Specialist Program —
In an effort to help web professionals better meet their clients’ needs and to increase submission speed, we have started a new program called the Submission Specialist Program. This allows members to make instant submissions in the directory for a flat low monthly fee without having to join the community as a volunteer editor.
This program allows web developers to make up to 20 instant submissions in the directory for a flat monthly membership fee of $39.95
To learn more about this exciting program, please visit: http://www.goguides.org/DIR/membership.html
— Our Future Plans —
With the sale of GoGuides now withdrawn and the division of ownership finalized with Mrs. Coby, we are now focusing 100% of our energy into making GoGuides.Org the number one human edited directory on the net. If you would like to be part of our growing community, please apply to become an editor in any topic.
Team Support