I never really used anything pre-google so I dont have enough context.
The yahoo directory page, i found, is very useful for discovery. I spent a good amount of time digging into sub-directories of recent interest for example [0] and found the limited number of links very very refreshing and of high quality. Links work, no ads, and i skipped what i did not think useful without fatigue. 10 mins later, i learned something new.
Google search for the same topic lends 2 screen fulls of ads and a popup asking for permission for my location and then this[1] garbage. 10 mins later, I had just spent time avoiding ads and paid content slop.
A very basic example of why "google it" isn't a great tool for discoverability any more. Simpler tools, better outcomes.
A modern looking, but fundamentally same concept of a categorized, curated directory could very well be an improvement over the current state of affairs.
The yahoo directory page, i found, is very useful for discovery. I spent a good amount of time digging into sub-directories of recent interest for example [0] and found the limited number of links very very refreshing and of high quality. Links work, no ads, and i skipped what i did not think useful without fatigue. 10 mins later, i learned something new.
Google search for the same topic lends 2 screen fulls of ads and a popup asking for permission for my location and then this[1] garbage. 10 mins later, I had just spent time avoiding ads and paid content slop.
A very basic example of why "google it" isn't a great tool for discoverability any more. Simpler tools, better outcomes.
A modern looking, but fundamentally same concept of a categorized, curated directory could very well be an improvement over the current state of affairs.
[0]: https://web.archive.org/web/20141122222807/https://dir.yahoo...
[1]: https://www.google.com/search?q=homeschooling