The CMS Directory is a state-of-the-art knowledge base with a user-controlled faceted classification scheme. Most web directories (DMOZ, Google, Yahoo) have a fixed category hierarchy. For example, in the DMOZ Open Directory Project under Content Management, there are links for Java, PHP, Perl, and Python. This is the programming language facet (or property or attribute).

Suppose you wanted to view CMS by computer platform (Windows, Linux, etc.) first, and then by web server (Apache, IIS, etc.), and only then by programming language (Java, Perl, etc.)? With standard taxonomy technology, you are out of luck. Here you can select the facet you want at the top of your hierarchy, then another facet for the next layer in the hierarchy, etc.

• Click on the Choose drop-down and select the facet you want for the top layer of your hierarchy, say Computer Platform.
• The value options for the Platform facet appear as named folders.
• If you click on a facet folder (say GNU/Linux), you get a display of all the CMS with this property (Platform = GNU/Linux).
• Click on a CMS file icon to get the full Features List for that CMS (in a new window).
• Note that the navigation breadcrumbs show you have drilled down Top > GNU/Linux.
• Click on the Choose drop-down and select a second facet you want for the next layer of your hierarchy, say CMS Framework.
• Value options for the CMS Framework facet appear as named folders.
• If you click on a facet folder (say Cocoon), you get a display of all the CMS with this property (CMS Framework = Cocoon) and the top layer property (Platform = GNU/Linux).
• Note that the navigation breadcrumbs show you have drilled down Top > GNU/Linux > Cocoon.
• You may continue to choose facets to make as fine a classification scheme as you need
• To remove a facet, simply choose it again. You will see included facets are marked with bullets.
• To reorder the facet layers, enter a number into the text box next to the facet and hit enter.
• CMS community members can add facets and the possible values needed to accurately describe their CM systems.
• When you have finished arranging your hierarchy, you can output and save a version in Dave Winer's Outline Processor Markup Language .