I work with a US based Linux Users Group with a .org address. We don't charge dues and don't spend any money, so I *guess* we fall into the category.
The <A HREF="http://www.isoc.org/dotorg/faq.shtml">faq</a isoc.org> is kind of low on details, which is worrying to me. They say that the do not intend to make any changes in how .org is managed. However this quote from the <A HREF="http://www.isoc.org/isoc/media/releases/020619pr.shtml">press release</a isoc.org> implies otherwise:
ISOC's global outreach enables it to work cooperatively with many other global organizations, such as UNESCO, and the Center for Democracy and Technology, to create consensus around critical policy and standards issues.
If they gain control of the .org domain, will we be faced with UNESCO bureaucrats helping to decide who is a .org? It seems to me that if ISOC wants to create a consensus on "standards issues" then an obvious standard will be what qualifies as a non-profit. Having worked for the UN in the past, I remember how important "proper documentation" is to them. I can easily see a proposed non-profit standard being "any group that is legally registered as a non-profit." After all, allowing non-registered groups is effectively allowing anyone, which means there is no standard, right?
At least in the US, registering as an official non-profit involves much paperwork and reporting to Federal and state tax officials. It may not be worth it for smaller groups such as LUGs.
I hope they clarify that a little better. The lack of information and the implications of the above quote make me wonder if having a .org domain name will suddenly become an expensive, time consuming proposition.
Learn about Linux
Download Linux
Get Linux help
No details
Posted by: Exp0 on June 20, 2002 04:19 AMI work with a US based Linux Users Group with a .org address. We don't charge dues and don't spend any money, so I *guess* we fall into the category.
The <A HREF="http://www.isoc.org/dotorg/faq.shtml">faq</a isoc.org> is kind of low on details, which is worrying to me. They say that the do not intend to make any changes in how .org is managed. However this quote from the <A HREF="http://www.isoc.org/isoc/media/releases/020619pr.shtml">press release</a isoc.org> implies otherwise:
If they gain control of the .org domain, will we be faced with UNESCO bureaucrats helping to decide who is a .org? It seems to me that if ISOC wants to create a consensus on "standards issues" then an obvious standard will be what qualifies as a non-profit. Having worked for the UN in the past, I remember how important "proper documentation" is to them. I can easily see a proposed non-profit standard being "any group that is legally registered as a non-profit." After all, allowing non-registered groups is effectively allowing anyone, which means there is no standard, right?
At least in the US, registering as an official non-profit involves much paperwork and reporting to Federal and state tax officials. It may not be worth it for smaller groups such as LUGs.
I hope they clarify that a little better. The lack of information and the implications of the above quote make me wonder if having a .org domain name will suddenly become an expensive, time consuming proposition.
#