Since at least October 23, 2006 users have been unable to submit a site and editors unable to login to dmoz.org due to technical problems.
We are currently experiencing technical problems with our servers. Currently the public pages are static pages that have been generated from a backup. This means:
(1) the public pages do not reflect the most recent updates made to the directory;
(2) scripted pages, including site suggestion and application forms, are not functioning; and
(3) editors are unable to check the status of new editor applications.
We do not currently have an ETA for the resolution of the technical difficulties. We will update this announcement when the system is fully functioning again — please do not start threads asking why the system isn’t working properly or when it will be available again. Thanks.
For those of you in the dark, dmoz.org is also known as The Open Directory Project. The ODP is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web.
Google and other search engines use the listings on dmoz in their rankings because the sites are human-edited and generally not spammy.
I noticed this shortly after I started my first blog One Ditty A Day. The earliest indication of downtime on the net I could find was October 23rd.
Apparently an old backup static version of the directory is running. All scripted functions are shut down.
Not sure if it is related but research.dmoz.org is also down.
People on the net have been writing about the death of dmoz for years now because of how slow the process is and how editors are approved. Perhaps this is finally it.