There are way too many directories with the exact same categories.  Over the last 3 months I estimate that 9 out of 10 new general directories are using the same category dump.  The result is a slew of low quality directories.

Here is an example of one of these directories.  You will recognize it because the first 5 categories are: Arts, Blogs, Business, Computers and Education.

Here is an example of Arts sub-category.

There are over a thousand of these directories on the web.  This is not the only dump that people use but it is by far the one used the most.

Owners usually create a dozen or two of these exact directories.  Sometimes they create a hundred or two.  To make things worse, they often host all the directories on the same IP.

Advice to anyone starting a directory

Create one good directory rather than a dozen crappy ones. Create some original categories and try to build some original content. The more useful the content is the better. Good luck.