http://www.circleid.com/posts/20191127_why_i_voted_to_sell_org/Hi, I’m Richard. I’ve been around the Internet for a while. I work for Cisco now, and used to lead security for Firefox. I was a co-founder of Let’s Encrypt and I currently serve on its board. I care about the Internet, and I care about nonprofits.
I joined the board’s unanimous decision to, sell the Public Interest Registry (PIR), the registry for the .org top-level domain, to Ethos Capital.
Many of the current concerns about .org are premised on a presumption that prices will rise, based on a distrust of private equity and the affiliations of some of the investors. Those concerns are understandable, but I would encourage people to look at what Ethos themselves have said about their intentions with regard to .org, namely that they intend to:
- Make .org domain names “accessible and reasonably priced for all”, including limiting price increases to no more than 10% per year
- Keep PIR accountable to the community through a Stewardship Council
- Give back to the .org community through a Community Enablement Fund
- Seek certification as a B Corporation, as a commitment to transparency and social responsibility
