[Cornbread]

The same way you do. I learned the definition from you. Here is my criteria:
1. Directories that are Spam free, that only except quality sites with unique content. I have a football site, but I won't list my site next to a lot of gambling sites.
2. Human reviewed
3. Good Google page rank
4. Strong search results in Google for the directory, well optimized.**
5. Directories that are well categorized, profesional looking and easy to navigate with no dead links.
6. Directories that offer permanent listings.
7. Directories that have my category page indexed in Google.
8. Directories that aren't to full, I don't want to be listed alongside thousands of other sites on page 7 or something.
9. Directories that are respected by their peers in the industry, well established. They must be SERP friendly.
10. Directories that have a good business model, are successful and profitable.

**After I get a link it's easy for me to tell which ones are strong. I go to Google and type in "NFL Draft Dog" and see what I get for results, for example my V7n listing is one page three of Google so it must be an excellent directory to be ranked that high. That's why I like Search Monster, know one seems to knwo about that directory, but Google loves them, my link on their directory is on page one of Google.