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debate The fight for .ORG: is it about MONEY or is it about CONTROL?

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The real reason for the .ORG change of control event is about:

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  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.

Rob Monster

Founder of EpikTop Member
Epik Founder
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As some here are aware, I previously presented the bullish case for .ORG:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/why-i-am-bullish-on-org-plutocratic-guilt.1161692/

Although I remain bullish on the .ORG TLD as a domain asset class, there is now a footnote on .ORG because of the change of control event and the precedent that it represents for a major registry.

In the wake of organized backlash against the Ethos/PIR.org deal from capable organizations such as EFF, it appears that propagandists are makeing a case for "nothing to see here". For example note this article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/opinion/dot-org-domain.html

This article was written by a Stanford undergrad with a Stanford prof as the byline. Fade Chehade is a Stanford alum. This looks like a propaganda instrument. In fact, I put the odds at 90:10 on that.

Ultimately, I am not convinced that this is not about money. After all, Donuts is not exactly killing it since Abry took over. However, they now control a whopping 242 TLDs. These people are not stupid nor are they lazy.

Fadi is a globalist and an elite technocrat. He has a keen understanding of power, governance and realpolitik. I believe he is entirely sincere about what he thinks it is at stake. Check out his short TED interview:

https://www.ted.com/talks/fadi_cheh...itizens_can_do_to_claim_power_on_the_internet

The timing of this talk was curious. September 2018 is when the digital censorship programs went into overdrive. As some folks know, I was on the front line of that when Godaddy booted Gab.

Fadi wants "Geneva conventions", "technocratic oaths" and "stewards" for acceptable use.

Fadi also comments on Artificial Intelligence. He is absolutely right. Most folks have no idea how much impact AI combined with structured data, wireless broadband, and open standards is going to change the word.

People with access to domains, hosting and vast libraries of open source code, are capable of wielding remarkable things. The tools are already amazing. I believe AI is also in the process of being democratized.

As power of internet publishing gravitates to individuals, the framework for governance on the Internet comes down to the gatekeepers, of which domain registries play a critical role for at least the next 10 years.

Blockchain is plodding along to create a decentralized alternative. It is not ready for prime time yet. However, domains can become more resilient. That is where Epik is focused.

Now that the main industry pundits have had their commentary on .ORG, I am curious to hear what the open source community has to say about the .ORG transaction and its implications. Let's hear it.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
The .ORG community is clearly against this deal.

Not only that the .Org Community is against this deal, but also against any deal that would put the .Org Impartiality, Affordability, and Nonprofit Values and Principals at Jeopardy for the Existing or Future Generation .Org Registrants.

IMO
 
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so guys should we stay away from dot org to buy or not buy?
 
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so guys should we stay away from dot org to buy or not buy?

Forecast for .org reg. growth in 2020 is 0% . In a 1+ year they lost +/- 400k regs. You decide. (2-3 L, 2-3 N, strong one-word dictionary can still get $k)

Regards
 
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so guys should we stay away from dot org to buy or not buy?

In my opinion domainers should treat .Org differently than all the other extensions, If you can create some value by thinking of new names that would help advance certain causes and if you are willing to sell your domains to nonprofit organizations that can benefit from your creativity without trying to extract the most amount of money from them then I believe that talented domainers can contribute greatly to enhance and preserve the purpose of this extension specially if they are willing to donate a .Org for humanitarian and environmental causes and movements that are of benefit to all.

IMO
 
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EFF: Empty Promises Won’t Save the .ORG Takeover

It didn’t take long for the global NGO sector to put two and two together: take a new agreement that gives the registry owner power to hurt NGOs; combine it with a new owner whose primary obligation is to its investors, not its users; and you have a recipe for danger for nonprofits and NGOs all over the world that rely on .ORG. Since November, over 800 organizations and 24,000 individuals from all over the world have signed an open letter urging ISOC to stop the sale of PIR. Members of Congress, UN Special Rapporteurs, and US state charity regulators [pdf] have raised warning flags about the sale.

read more ^ (EFF)

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Commentary: .ORG Still Wouldn’t Be Safe

by EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn and NTEN CEO Amy Sample Ward

Dear Fadi Chehadé, Erik Brooks, and Jon Nevett:

We are writing in response to your announcement of “accountability initiatives” to follow the proposed sale of the .ORG registry.

While you have clearly recognized that the NGO community demands accountability from its top-level domain registry, this announcement does nothing to display that accountability. Rather than instill trust, it reveals once again that you lack understanding of the NGO community’s needs and are not equipped to manage .ORG.

The proposed “Stewardship Council” would fail to protect the interests of the NGO community. First, the council is not independent. The Public Interest Registry (PIR) board’s ability to veto nominated members would ensure that the council will not include members willing to challenge Ethos’ decisions. PIR’s handpicked members are likely to retain their seats indefinitely.

read more ^ (The Nonprofit Times)
 
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BY NORA ABUSITTA-OURI (Ethos Capital) / Feb 28

The discussion about the future of the .ORG domain registry has been partly rooted in stewardship. Who will guide the Public Interest Registry (PIR) so it continues to serve the .ORG community? For those of us at Ethos Capital, the company acquiring PIR, this has been a central focus.

We understand that owning PIR makes us stewards of an essential part of the fabric of the Internet. The .ORG domain is bigger than the 10 million domain names registered. It is both a symbol of many non-profit organizations on the Internet and a means by which millions of organizations operate, communicate, fundraise, and provide services to those in need. For that reason, stewardship of .ORG is paramount.

Recognizing that the community valued enforceable assurances, Ethos has taken a powerful additional step: we've voluntarily proposed to add a Public Interest Commitment amendment, or a "PIC," to the ICANN Registry Agreement. This will formalize our commitments, making them legally binding and enforceable by ICANN and also by members of the community through the Public Interest Commitments Dispute Resolution Procedure, or "PICDRP." Public Interest Commitments were introduced in the ICANN community in 2013 as new domain names were created. Ethos listened to the .ORG community's request for strong enforceability measures to ensure that we would be held accountable to our promises — and we took action.

read more (key points about org)
 
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Webinar
The Future of .ORG: Community Engagement


Date: Thursday, February 27

Time: 15:00 – 16:00 EST/ 20:00 – 21:00 UTC

Transcript from Feb 27: The Future of .ORG: Community Engagement

" You know, part of the reason that we've made this investment and I think why ISOC was excited about accepting it, was that we'll have the ability to provide ISOC with a perpetual endowment that will enable it to continue to serve its mission around the world globally to build a more accessible and inclusive and secure internet." (Erik Brooks, founder of Ethos Capital)


Download pdf (attached)
 

Attachments

  • transcript-org-feb-27.pdf
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Non-profits face uncertainty as .org domain goes up for sale

“Squeezing profits from not-for-profits and civil society is not a moral basis that you should want to follow"
Mark Stephens
IBA's Human Rights Institute

read more (IBANET International Bar Association)

 
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Binding .ORG and the Community Together
BY NORA ABUSITTA-OURI

In direct response to the enormous interest and input we have seen from the .ORG community over the past several months, Ethos and Public Interest Registry (PIR) have made tremendous strides in laying out our collective vision for .ORG and put forth unprecedented commitments and protections for the .ORG community.

Over the last two weeks, in particular, we have taken concrete actions to better align the community's interests with the operations of PIR and .ORG. First, with the announcement of the legally binding Public Interest Commitment ("PIC"), we have cemented enforcements around price limits for .ORG domains, the role and mandate of the Stewardship Council, safeguards on policies regarding freedom of expression and protection of customer information, the establishment of a $10 million Community Enablement Fund, and an annual reporting mechanism for PIR. We then followed up with a series of community discussions to answer questions about the PIC, including what it would mean in practice. Most recently, we opened a public engagement process to solicit additional feedback.

For those who were unable to join the community engagement events, I would like to recap the primary questions that were addressed:

  • How is the PIC enforceable?
  • Did ICANN insist upon it as a condition of the deal?
  • How will the Stewardship Council operate and who will be its members?
  • What will the Community Enablement Fund do?
  • How will Ethos generate a return on its investment, and what are its plans for PIR and .ORG?

read more (keypointsabout.org)
 
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Ethos/PIR/ISOC has already lost the community. All their latest nonsense is lipstick on a pig.
No one believes a 10% increase a year is either justified, or deserved.

Additionally, no one trusts a brand new private equity company with a public asset as important as .ORG, nor should they.

Brad
 
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All those petitions, threads etc. are just for fun...
BIG money solves any questions... or almost any.
 
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The price increase has gotten so much negative press all over the internet, I am amazed they are still going forward with it.
 
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Ethos has no other way if Afilias increases their fee per .ORG as for all other TLDs under Afilias management (since Jan'1/2020 and in future)...
 
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ICANN 67-VCF/1 transcript: .Org ISOC, PIR, Ethos Capital
March 09 2020: The transcript is available here (PDF)
 
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Ethos Capital Announces Accountability Initiatives to Secure a Strong Future for .ORG

Public Interest Commitment by Allen Grogan advisor to Ethos





 
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I have to wonder, is ICANN really going to approve this deal to a private equity company while the entire world economy is collapsing due to the corona virus.

We are going to need organizations now more than ever.

Taking any money out of their hands for unwarranted price increases seems ridiculous.

Brad
 
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They were there simply just to approve anything and .com/.net is the "last bastion"...
 
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ICANN Should Reject the Proposed Transfer of the .ORG Registry.

Signed by 4 US Senators; Ed Markey, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren and US Representative Anna Eshoo.

Screen Shot 2020-03-21 at 23.55.55.png


In the months since Ethos announced its intent to purchase PIR from ISOC, the .ORG community has been vocal and virtually unanimous in its opposition to the sale. Over 800 organizations and 25,000 people have signed a petition urging ICANN to block the proposed change of control.

Ethos, PIR, and ISOC have fielded questions from us, from the community, and from ICANN, and they have provided answers on pricing, business plans, and transparency that continue to indicate that the sale would not benefit the public or .ORG registrants.

Because the proposed sale of .ORG is against the public interest and would violate ICANN’s commitment to “preserve and enhance...the operational stability, reliability, security...and openness of the DNS and the Internet, we again urge you to reject this private equity takeover of the .ORG registry.

Download PDF (ICANN) + Attached PDF
 

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Ethos Capital Announces Selection Process for .ORG Stewardship Council

... We have launched a new website, www.thestewardshipcouncil.org, that contains important information about the Stewardship Council selection process. Effective today, it offers the opportunity for those who meet the search criteria, and are interested in joining the Council, to submit their information for consideration.

Mission-driven organizations, now more than ever, will play a vital role in helping the world in today’s uncertain times. Strong, independent oversight of .ORG on these important issues by respected leaders in the community will ensure the domain’s inspiring legacy of helping those who seek to do good endures.

read more (keypointsabout org)
 
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The Californian Attorney General is very much against the takeover of .ORG by Ethos. Looks like ICANN might be in a whole world of trouble over this.

Regards...jmcc
 
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I would also like to give a special thanks to @Zak Muscovitch and everyone else at the ICA that fought against this deal.

This is a flagship win for registant rights. It puts the interests of the many stakeholders above those of the few.

Brad
 
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This is great news.

Now we need to figure out how this clown show got so far.
 
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