BY TEMPLE LI
The .org domain, established in 1985, equates in most people’s minds with integrity, trust and noble missions. When people see .org following the name of an organization, they automatically have a warm and fuzzy feeling. The perception is that these organizations have a positive impact on communities and society in general.
The domain .org is synonymous with not-for-profit. Simply put, in a not-for-profit revenues should equal expenses, or if there is any excess revenue, it is applied to funding the organization’s mission. However, all too often, we learn that a .org’s management goals do not always align with the organization’s philanthropic vision; monies are misappropriated and profits pocketed. The domain with a conscience has begun a downward slide into moral turpitude.
To add insult to injury, now anyone can get a .org domain. You don’t need to be a not-for-profit or show documentation—simply register for it. Commercial companies are being encouraged to use the .org to improve their credibility and to inspire trust.
From its noble beginnings, it is now just another ploy to deceive the public and manipulate the unsuspecting. So what else is new?
Temple Li is the news editor for Empire State News, where she frequently authors her own editorials (just because she feels like it). She graduated at the top of her class at a mediocre college, infuriating her professors with her conservative wit and sultry charm. Empire State News allows Ms. Li to make a living, and to have a platform to tell people what she thinks. What could be better than that?
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