Dave thinks we should write directories in OPML and publish them on the web. I wonder if there is any software out there set up to publish directories using OPML in a hosted (php/perl/python/jsp/asp etc) environment, preferably released as open source. I’ll look around later this afternoon. I’ve taken a look at an open source OPML module for Python. To get your head around the module, the source for Straw, an RSS aggregator for Gnome2 should help.
I’m not sure if there are similar modules or classes available for perl (didn’t see any at CPAN) or PHP, but there might be. It would take at least these (free/open source) building blocks for OPML-based directories to take off. I see that I can do OPML directories in Radio as well as Manila, but not everyone owns that software.
I keep invoking my imaginary free time, but I’ll try my best to look into it.
Further Thoughts: I think it would be really cool to take a blosxom approach. Just drop your .opml files to a directory on your web host and the cgi will take care of the rest. Of course it would probably be easier (for me) to take a command-line approach, but producing dynamic directories by dropping .opml files would be so sexy.
Also check out Rick’s implementation.