A new layer for knowledge

We can find more information
than ever.

Knowing what to trust
has never been harder.

ZEEF sifts information by topic — through human curation, structured categories, and visible perspectives.

Person thoughtfully sifting for knowledge

Gold sifter, Klondike River, ca. 1898

“It's not information overload.
It's filter failure.”

— Clay Shirky

Filtering the world's information with human knowledge

Why it matters

What we see
is not neutral.

The information environment is shaped by forces most people can't see and didn't choose. This isn't a technical glitch — it's a structural problem.

Trust

  • Which source is actually reliable?
  • Does that expert really know what they claim?
  • Are results bought, steered, or manipulated?

Visibility

  • Algorithms shape what surfaces first
  • Commercial incentives determine what gets amplified
  • SEO manipulation distorts organic results

Confinement

  • Filter bubbles reinforce existing beliefs
  • Echo chambers replace open inquiry
  • Misinformation spreads faster than correction

Autonomy

  • Users are tracked, profiled, and steered
  • Personalisation that closes rather than opens
  • Engagement logic rewards outrage over nuance

It's not information overload.
It's filter failure.

Clay Shirky

The question is not: “Can I find information?”

The real question is: “Who or what decides what I see — and can I trust that?”

Search engines

Finding·But not vetting

Social platforms

Spreading·But not filtering

AI models

Summarising·But not sourcing

None of these systems have solved the trust problem. They all rely on signals that can be gamed, biased, or simply wrong.

The answer

Sifting is not
another algorithm.

ZEEF introduces a different model. Not a smarter ranking system on top of the chaos — but a layer of human selection, structure, and transparency beneath it.

Sifting doesn't remove opinions. It makes them visible, comparable, and navigable.

Current model

  • Engagement over nuance
  • SEO over quality
  • One dominant ranking
  • Opaque selection
  • Personalised confinement

ZEEF

  • Human selection
  • Quality over reach
  • Multiple viewpoints
  • Transparent curation
  • Structured comparison
01

Select

People with knowledge or a clear point of view choose which sources matter on a topic.

02

Organise

Sources are structured by category, tag, and subject — not by engagement or algorithmic relevance.

03

Tag

Human-applied labels create a navigable map of a topic across disciplines and perspectives.

04

Compare

Different viewpoints on the same subject sit side by side, visible and traceable.

05

Attribute

You see who selected a source and why — curation is transparent, not anonymous.

The core principle

Multiple experts.
One topic. Your understanding.

Where a search engine gives you ten links, ZEEF gives you expert perspectives on the same question — curated by people who know the subject, not ranked by an algorithm.

Trust comes from human judgment. Not from the algorithm that ranked a result, but from the person who read it, understood it, and decided it was worth including — with their name attached.

Search

+

AI

+

People

Trust

Topic: Nutrition science

Mainstream consensus

Peer-reviewed meta-analyses, dietary guidelines

Emerging research

Recent clinical trials challenging established models

Critical voices

Researchers questioning industry-funded study design

3 perspectives by 3 curators on 1 topic

What is ZEEF

A curated directory of knowledge, organised by humans who know the subject.

ZEEF is a human-filtered resource directory. For each topic, you find a structured set of links, sources, categories, and perspectives — not an infinite feed, but a deliberate, navigable collection.

The people who curate a ZEEF page have knowledge, experience, or a clearly stated point of view. Their selection is visible. Their reasoning can be questioned. That's the point.

ZEEF doesn't claim to know the truth about any subject. It helps you see the landscape of serious knowledge around it — honestly, structurally, and without hiding who made what visible.

Curated

Every source selected by a person, not ranked by a machine.

Structured

Topics organised with categories, tags, and clear navigation.

Transparent

You always know who curated a collection and their perspective.

Multi-view

Different curators can build different views on the same topic.

Human-first

No algorithmic ranking. No engagement signals. No hidden agenda.

What people say

ZEEF is to search what Twitter is to news.

Jeroen Verberg

CEO, Onehippo

I believe in ZEEF and I'm convinced that people can produce better search results than algorithms.

Philippe van Ooteghem

Founder, Adlantic

I like the human preselection of information. This makes information personal. Everything is about making choices and ZEEF helps to do just that instead of trying to be complete.

Mark Greeven

Associate Professor, Zhejiang University

This is the best tool to filter the Internet.

Arnoud Duiker

Partner, Orangedotcom

ZEEF

From noise
to knowledge.

ZEEF is building a different layer for the world's information. One where sifting is done by people, structure is visible, and multiple perspectives on the same subject can exist, be compared, and help you think better.

Search gives answers. Sifting gives context.

One topic. Multiple views. Better judgment.

Human knowledge, made visible.