What's the difference between a "directory" and a search engine?

A directory is organized by subjects similar to a book's table of contents. Directories tend to have a small abstract for each of the entries to help you determine if the listings are appropriate to you. Directories typically have human editors ensuring high quality of content, but they tend to have a smaller searchable database.

A search engine is similar to a book's index. When using a search engine, you're looking for specific keywords within the search engine's database. Search engines tend to be automated, ensuring there's a large database to search through, but they lack human editors for quality control.

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