Blog Business World features an article that provides step-by-step instructions on getting your blog listed in the Open Directory Project, better known as DMOZ. Getting your blog listed on DMOZ isn’t a bad idea, since the directory is used by a number of search engines, including Google, as a means of classifying search results into categories.

The categories—combined with the open nature of DMOZ—could be problematic. Volunteer editors manage categories, resulting in classifications that may be more harmful than helpful. Look up Monsanto, for instance, and you’ll find it categorized like this:

Society: Issues: Business: Allegedly Unethical Firms: Monsanto

There’s objectivity for you. But with the editor of any given category an avowed vegan, or anti-globalization activist, or animal rights activist (on one side) or right-wing Christian conservative, right-to-lifer, or corporate booster (on the other), it’s not likely that categorization will occur without the editor’s bias creeping into the effort. To its credit, DMOZ disclaims such categories: “Open Directory Project aims for fairness and balance. Opposing views are welcome in the appropriate category.” But most people won’t follow through to the page containing the description of the category; they’ll just see where the site (or your blog) is listed.

Considering the anti-PR sentiment these days, it doesn’t take much to imagine a PR blog showing up in a less-than-favorable category, and the risk isn’t limited to those of us in the PR blogging community. DMOZ is an influential resource, to be sure, but still should be approached with caution.