Dave is making another impassioned plea for people to start using OPML based directories. I'll add my small voice to the chorus. About 3 months ago, I got to wishing I had a way to create specialized directories of the content on my weblog and related content from elsewhere. As a consequence, I started my feature page. But this is just an OPML directory that Radio renders using activeRenderer. The OPML is available here. This isn't the complete answer however.

A little while ago, I started to want to reference my collection of posts and material on GXA separately as well, so I split that out as a separate OPML directory. Ideally, I should be able to reference this in my "features" OPML and get it included as part of the features outline. Something isn't working right however. I'm not sure if its activerRenderer or something I'm doing wrong. So, for now its just an HTML link. I also wish there was an automatic way for activeRenderer to create a link to the OPML files so that people know they're there for the taking. There's probably some way to do it in the template, but I haven't figured it out. Once I get these things figured out, I'd like the features page to just be the top level directory for the other material. There's still some organizational work to do to make this all work the way I'd like, but its a big step forward in creating a table of contents for themes in my weblog and related material.

Like it or not, its humans who add value to the Internet and these sorts of directories are the directory equivalent of weblogs with lots of people doing little bits of work that can then be aggregated, searched, and used by others.