Interesting concept.
You hear mention of this phrase quite often during discussions about web directories. It’s often said that you can judge a directory by its editorial integrity (or lack thereof).
Wikipedia gives the following definition for integrity:
Integrity is the basing of one’s actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. Depth of principles and adherence of each level to the next are key determining factors. One is said to have integrity to the extent that everything he does and believes is based on the same core set of values. While those values may change, it is their consistency with each other and with the person’s actions that determine his integrity.
Something that has really caught my attention is that most general topic web directories promoted at popular webmaster forums primarily feature other directories.