Public Interest Registry’s General Counsel Brian Cimbolic has laid out a new two-step appeal process for their .org top-level domain under their Anti-Abuse Policy in a post on the registry blog. Under the new appeals process registrants who believe their .org domain names have been suspended unfairly can contact PIR and then appeal to a neutral third party. The goal is to help build confidence in a safer, stronger DNS.
[news release] Public Interest Registry (PIR), the people behind the .ORG domain name, has been selected by The Washington Business Journal as one of the Top 10 Best Places to Work for 2020. PIR was selected because of its culture of caring and respect, its deeply held mission, and its commitment to honoring its people.
Public Interest Registry (PIR) has become the first gTLD registry to undergo a human rights assessment with ARTICLE 19 and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) collaborating to guide the .org registry in its human rights efforts. The report was largely positive, finding PIR’s “policies and operational procedures respected human rights so they cause few negative impacts.”
It’s been an interesting year for Public Interest Registry, the .org operator. For months following the announcement of the proposed takeover by Ethos Capital there was intense debate as to whether it should go ahead. After many months of deliberations, ICANN rejected the takeover and PIR is back to where it was before Ethos made its bid: intent on becoming an even better registry, focussing on quality registrations and growing in its global markets in a more meaningful way.
In a year that’s been challenging for the entire world, Public Interest Registry (PIR), the people behind .ORG, have announced their second annual .ORG Impact Awards. This week PIR put out a Call for Nominations to honour the remarkable organisations and individuals making the world a better place that use a .org domain name for their website.
Neustar (.us), Public Interest Registry (.org) and Verisign (.com/.net) are participating in a three month trial with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Food and Drug Administration to curb illegal online sales of unapproved opioids.
Public Interest Registry published their 2018 annual report Thursday, highlighting what for them was a âsolid year for .org, from exceeding financial goals to continuing to grow a strong user base with high renewal rates. These results are a direct reflection of PIRâs commitment to promoting quality domains in the .org base.â For 2019, the .org registry is âputting an even greater focus on combating abuse and making significant investments in education and outreach initiatives.â
It was a year that saw domain names under management for .org drop to 10.3 million at the end of 2018 from 10.4 million at the end of 2017. Renewals though increased by 100,000 from 6.7m to 6.8m while the renewal percentage increased from 75.7% to 77.4%.
But .org wasnât the only top-level domain in the top 10 by registration numbers to drop with .de and .uk also dropping by around 100,000 according to Verisignâs Domain Name Industry Brief, but .net (500,000) and .ru (400,000) dropped even further while .info dropped from being the eighth largest TLD with 6.4 million registrations to sliding out of the top 10 meaning their registration count was somewhere below 4.8 million registrations which is what the tenth largest TLD (.tw) had at the end of 2018.
As the annual report notes, they are challenging times with there now being 1,250 gTLDs including PIRâs .ong and .ngo and 4 others, currently with just shy of 8,000 registrations, compared to the 6 when .org was created in 1984.
Financially 2018 was a year in which PIR note they exceeded their financial goals with net bookings growing $1.1m to 93.0m and operating income jumping $7.0m to $45.9m. For 2018 mid-year PIR made some âboldâ business decisions, that led to a strong financial performance, and results specifically reflecting an ongoing commitment to high ethical standards. Mid-year also saw a realignment of marketing incentives a renewed focus on the quality (not just the quantity) of .org registrations. The .org Community grew as the result of this change. There were more quality registrations and more users. This led to significant contributions toward Internet Societyâs work for an open, globally-connected, secure and trustworthy Internet for everyone.
Other achievements in 2018 highlighted in the report were reorganising the management structure to align with strategic priorities, sharpening efforts to further improve the quality of the .org base, maintaining the robust .org renewal rates, and producing strong financial results in support of the Internet Society and their work to keep the Internet free and open for all. The report also details PIRâs plans for 2019, which include initiatives aligned with PIRâs mission to help educate those who are making a difference in their communities through the power of .org.
In 2019, PIR is building upon these efforts through the launch of the Quality Performance Index (QPI) initiative, which helps reward those registrars who are growing and maintaining trust in the .org domain while identifying areas of improvement for registrars when it comes to online trust.
The Report also details PIRâs robust anti-abuse program, its policy and privacy initiatives, and expanding education and outreach efforts. For 2019, PIR is putting an even greater focus on combating abuse online and making significant investments in education and outreach initiatives. PIR also is establishing a .ORG Impact Awards program to recognise the incredible work of organisations across the globe, and creating a PIR Grants Program to connect PIR with highly motivated individuals and groups with mutual aspirations to help them further their missions.
âPIR achieved the ambitious goals we set for ourselves in 2018, thanks in no small part to the inspiring work of the .org community. Itâs the people and organisations using .org to make a positive impact on the world who motivate us to remain diligent in our stewardship of the .org domain,â said Jon Nevett, who was appointed President and CEO of Public Interest Registry in December 2018.
âThis year, we are in the midst of a number of exciting initiatives aimed at providing even more support for the broad .org community and our domain industry partners. These include maintaining .org as the most trusted domain extension, amplifying our education and outreach efforts, and continuing to expand our already robust anti-abuse program.â
To download the 2018 Annual Report in full, go to: https://pir.org/pir-2018-annual-report/
The .ORG Impact Awards is Now Accepting Nominations from Nonprofits, Corporations, Community Groups and More    Â
[news release] In celebration of organizations using the Internet to empower change around the world, The .ORG Impact Awards, sponsored by Public Interest Registry, launches today to honor .ORG domain name users for their accomplishments.
From individuals to large corporations, and small community groups to multinational NGOs, purpose-driven achievements from members of the .ORG community will be honored through this inaugural program. The award submission period is open through Friday, July 12, 2019.
Unlike other industry award programs, The .ORG Impact Awards does not seek to profit from submissions. In fact, winning individuals and organizations will receive up to $5,000 in a monetary contribution to the nonprofit of their choice, and finalists will receive two complimentary invitations to attend The .ORG Impact Awards Ceremony at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. on October 10, 2019 where winners will be announced. Finalists in the âIndividualâ category also will be offered travel assistance.
Achievement will be honored in the following award categories:
Individual Awards honor the contribution of an individual to their organization or the broader sector:
Sector Awards recognize organizational and team accomplishments:
Initiative Awards celebrate achievement in a specific online niche area:
âThe .ORG Impact Awards is an opportunity to convene organizations of all types and sizes from around the world to learn from each other, celebrate each otherâs accomplishments and strengthen the work being done through .ORG to make the world a better place,â said Jon Nevett, president and CEO of Public Interest Registry. âThe mission- and affinity-driven .ORG community is vast, diverse and incredibly innovative in how it harnesses the power of the Internet to improve the lives of people near and far, and weâre thrilled to shine a spotlight on these accomplishments to help strengthen these stellar .ORGs for the future.â
All award entries must be submitted through a form on The .ORG Impact Awardsâ secure online platform and should highlight activities occurring between June 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019. Nominators may submit to more than one category/subcategory, but each submission must be original. All submissions must be in English and there is no cost for submission.
For official eligibility criteria and rules of The .ORG Impact Awards program, as well as submission requirements, deadlines and judging information, please visit https://orgimpactawards.org/.
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About Public Interest Registry
Public Interest Registry is a nonprofit corporation that operates the .ORG top-level domain â one of the world’s largest “generic” top-level domain with more than 10 million domain names registered worldwide. As an advocate for collaboration, safety and security on the Internet, Public Interest Registry’s mission is to educate and enable the global noncommercial community to use the Internet more effectively, and to take a leadership position among Internet stakeholders on policy and other issues relating to the domain naming system. Public Interest Registry was founded by the Internet Society (internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA. Visit Public Interest Registry at https://pir.org/.
Public Interest Registry (PIR) announced Tuesday the addition of three new members to their executive team â Judy Song-Marshall, Chief of Staff; Joe Abley, Chief Technology Officer and Anand Vora, Vice President of Business Affairs. They are currently recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to round out their leadership team.
The new hires, starting throughout March and April of 2019, will bring enhanced operational and technology capabilities to Public Interest Registry in support of the organisationâs drive for continued growth of quality domains under management and its enhanced educational and outreach initiatives. The broadening of the executive team comes on the heels of Public Interest Registryâs appointment of Jon Nevett as President and CEO and will be instrumental to the advancement of the organisationâs advocacy in support of collaboration, safety and trust on the internet.
âOur latest executive appointments are some of the most well-respected professionals in the domain industry and true experts in their respective fields,â said Jon Nevett, President and CEO of Public Interest Registry. âIâm thrilled to welcome them to the Public Interest Registry team and am confident they will help us achieve our goals while, most importantly, upholding the impressive legacy of the .org domain.â
The three new hires will join the existing Public Interest Registry executive team consisting of Jon Nevett, President and CEO; Brian Cimbolic, Vice President and General Counsel; Paul Diaz, Vice President of Policy and Mary Cornwell, Senior Director of Human Resources. Public Interest Registry also currently is accepting applications for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to round out the organisationâs leadership team.
Judy Song-Marshall brings more than a decade of domain name industry experience working alongside executive management teams. She currently works as the Director of Registry Services at Neustar, overseeing the Policy, Industry Affairs, and Compliance teams.
Judy also led the marketing team that successfully launched the .nyc top-level domain (TLD) and rebranded the .us country code top-level domain (ccTLD). Judy serves on the ICANNWiki Board and is the Treasurer and a former board member of The Domain Name Association.
Joe Abley has more than 20 years of experience working with internet infrastructure in a variety of capacities including in the domain name system. At Public Interest Registry, Joe will be responsible for the organisationâs overall technology strategy including managing information security, business intelligence, software development and technical research.
Joe previously served as an Infrastructure Scientist for Afilias and as a Director of Domain Names System (DNS) Operations at ICANN where he provided direction for the operation of ICANNâs production DNS services, including the L Root Server and the systems and processes used to manage Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) in the root zone of the DNS. Joe also actively promotes technology education efforts in developing regions and is a long-standing participant in standards bodies and technical operator communities.
Anand Vora is a seasoned strategy and business development executive with a decade of experience working in the domain name and internet industries. Anand will be rejoining Public Interest Registry, where his career in the industry began, to oversee business development, channel services, marketing, registry services, and customer operations.
In this role, Anand will help expand Public Interest Registryâs presence in the marketplace and continue to foster customer and registrar relations. Previously, Anand served as the Director of Business Development at Donuts Inc., where he led the identification, development, creation, and execution of go-to-market strategy. At Donuts, Anand focused primarily on international markets including spearheading Donutsâ China operations.
In December of 2018, a new leader was welcomed to Public Interest Registry â Jonathon Nevett, a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Jon brings decades of domain expertise to the company and an impressive track record of industry leadership that will be instrumental to the ongoing growth and success of the .org domain.
PIR is thrilled to welcome Jon and decided to sit down with him so he can share more about his background, what motivated him to join .org and some of his priorities and goals for the .org domain.
Tell us about yourself! What led you to where you are today?
I started my career in government service and then as a lawyer by trade. After a few years of practising at a law firm, I moved to working at a large telecommunications company and started gravitating away from the law and towards the business side of a regulated industry. I then made the transition to Network Solutions and the domain industry and havenât looked back. Iâve worked in a variety of capacities within the industry â from starting out as an ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) policy wonk to serving as the Chairman of the Board of two industry joint ventures; from establishing a business ethics program to leading a government affairs effort. I have been fortunate enough to serve on various industry advisory groups and panels, as well as helped start our own industry trade association.
Most recently, I co-founded and served as an executive vice president at Donuts Inc., a domain registry that manages hundreds of new domain extensions. Over the eight years I was with Donuts, I had the opportunity to help raise over $150M in funding, build a registry from the ground up, and manage an amazing team of professionals. When this position opened at PIR, however, I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime and that the stars had aligned.
What made you pursue this new role at .org?
Iâve admired .org and PIR from afar since I began in the industry. PIRâs mission is to ensure that all who are committed to the public interest have a voice online and I knew immediately thatâs a mission I wanted to support. Joining the great team at PIR is an opportunity for me to stay in the industry I love and continue to work within the community that has supported me throughout my career. Additionally, Iâve lived in the greater DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area for over 25 years and PIR is right in my backyard, so I didnât risk the ire of my family in trying to get them to relocate.
What most excites you about this new role?
I wholeheartedly believe that .org is the crown jewel of the domain name system and my job is to polish it and let it shine as much as possible. It is known that .org has a long-standing reputation as a best-in-class domain, particularly when it comes to domain security, trust, and reliability. I felt that joining .org would give me an opportunity to do something good, as it is a purpose-driven domain for people who want to do great things online. Leading .org gives me a chance to help empower those people and help change the world for the better.
Many people also forget that PIR is a nonprofit, so we have our own public interest mission. Importantly, every time someone chooses a .org domain, a portion of their domain purchase goes toward supporting the Internet Society and its great work like keeping the internet free and open and helping to bring internet access to every corner of the globe. Iâm honored to be at the helm of such an impactful organisation like PIR and want to do everything I can during my tenure to enhance the .org domain.
What are some of your priorities and goals for PIR and the .org domain?
Quality of the domain space will always be a big focus for me. I want to uphold .orgâs reputation for being safe, secure, trustworthy, and a place for mission-based organisations and individuals to bring their ideas to life. That emphasis on quality means the total domains under management (DUM) metric wonât rule supreme. There are more important qualitative metrics that I plan to implement that will ultimately be more critical to the long-term health and growth of .org.
Additionally, Iâm looking forward to fostering the education and outreach element of our charter and have some ideas for how to ramp up those efforts in the coming years. We have strong expertise as an organisation on issues such as web identity, web presence, and how .orgs can be most successful on the internet, so you can expect in the near future to see PIR sharing our expertise with the greater non-profit community in new and creative ways. We also have some other exciting developments coming soon for the organisation, but we are keeping them under wraps for now.
Finally, Iâm just really excited to be joining an organisation with such a strong internal culture and so many inspiring and talented people across the globe. I want to keep building on that foundation and ensure .org stays a great place to work â somewhere people can really grow and thrive professionally. And while weâre at it, letâs have a little fun!
What are you doing when you arenât running one of the original domain extensions?
Family and friends and my various communities are my focus when I am not thinking about domain names. My wife, Karen, and I have three amazing kids â two in college (Rachel and Michael) and one in high school (Danielle) â and our personal time mostly revolves around them (especially girls travel soccer!).
I have also served for many years on the board of the Green Acres School, a progressive school founded 85 years ago and the first integrated school in Montgomery County, Maryland.
One of my most important achievements this year is that I am the proud winner of the ICANN community fantasy football championship and of course, all the bragging rights that go with it.
This Q&A by Jim LeFevre â Senior Director of Marketing, Public Interest Registry was republished with permission by PIR. The original version was published on PIR’s website here.