HTYP:About

from HTYP, the free directory anyone can edit if they can prove to me that they're not a spambot
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Overview

HTYP is the HyperText Yellow Pages. This might seem a little redundant at first (wouldn't an online directory necessarily be formatted using hypertext?), but on the other hand most online yellow pages directories seem to be little more than searchable databases with plain text content and very little in the way of hyperlinks. Sometimes they will link to a business web site, but that's about it. HTYP goes far above and beyond ("hyper-: 1 over, above or beyond" - Wiktionary) that by allowing anyone to make new entries, create new pages, and even write reviews – basically anything relevant to any of the subjects HTYP covers.

HTYP has two major subject areas at present:

  • A location-oriented directory (the "Here & There Yellow Pages")
  • A directory of practical knowledge, with working notes (the "How-To Yellow Pages")

The HT in HTYP also refers to The HypertWiki, where the wikified version of HTYP was first tested.

Policies

  • No advertising: On the one hand, we do not charge for inclusion of any content; on the other hand, submitted content will be checked for relevance and accuracy. Claims and opinions must be clearly marked as such. Much "advertising" contains useful, factual information, and HTYP encourages the posting of useful, descriptive content of any kind; advertising of that sort is, therefore, encouraged. (Note for clarification: Although we do not sell advertising space, we do allow anyone to post facts and opinions about businesses and services, at no charge. Much of this might be counted as advertising, in any other venue; here, it is free... with the caveat that others may re-use or edit anything posted. See the Businesses and Local Businesses categories for example listings.)
  • No sponsored content: we will not be resorting to the use of sponsored content, including links. If content belongs in a certain place, then it should go there free of charge; if it doesn't belong there, then it shouldn't be there.
  • Original content: we prefer to create new content, with links to relevant existing content; see content copying policy

We reserve the right to amend these policies as needed, of course.

History

HTYP has its origins in The Red House Yellow Pages (archive), a project I started on the web starting around 1997 (before Google, before dmoz.org) but had to abandon because it was taking too much time to maintain (people were starting to use it and wanted to add listings, and I started getting further and further behind – it was killed by the beginnings of its potential success).

Wiki software, however, makes it possible for anyone to add a listing, thus removing the single-admin bottleneck. HTYP was created in wiki format on the HypertWiki as a test in early 2005, and was moved to htyp.org beginning 2005-10-09 (John Lennon's birthday, by coincidence; this date was arrived at mainly because MediaWiki 1.5 had just become available) as it had became plain that the format could work, and would work better in its own framework rather than being mingled with the other information on the HypertWiki.

Redundancy

How HTYP is different from other available resources:

  • Wikipedia: HTYP is less formal and is aimed at being more practical. Content on HTYP may be opinionated and personal. Where Wikipedia attempts to be authoritative, HTYP is more like a huge (but organized and searchable) collection of working notes. Information on HTYP may be incorrect, but since HTYP is a wiki, anyone can fix any mistake they see (see this for a discussion of how this works).
  • The Open Directory Project:
    • HTYP does not require an approval process before you can start editing.
    • HTYP's wiki format allows much more flexibility in the kinds of content which can be posted.
    • HTYP encourages articles as well as links
    • HTYP encourages uploading of relevant images and audio
  • new 2006-02-10: yellowikis, apparently created in early 2005 (home page created September 2005), seems to be taking on part of HTYP's mission, though with a slightly different emphasis

Here & There

HTYP is a directory of every place known, starting at the Earth and moving both outwards and inwards.

How To

HTYP is a directory of practical knowledge, e.g. how-to information, consumer product reviews, technology updates, and anything else that seems useful or interesting.

Related Projects

  • Issuepedia: an encyclopedia of issues and related discussion


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