by the Public Interest Registry Team
Today’s a big day in the history of .ORG and the Internet as a whole. On this day, 35 years ago, www.mitre.org was registered. To put this in perspective, the movie Back to the Future came out and the Live Aid Concert was held that month.
Not even the Internet’s many founders could have known the impact that .ORG would have. Thirty-five years and 10 million .ORGs later, it is the foundation for global philanthropy, connects communities and inspires, heals, and serves. From www.doctorswithoutborders.org to www.colorofchange.org, these domains represent a wide breadth of individuals, communities, organizations, and non-profits.
That we, the team at Public Interest Registry, get to play a part in supporting these purpose-driven missions fills us with great pride. It’s easy to take the Internet for granted. We pick up our device or computer, and it works. But it’s a mammoth and de-centralized system of back-end servers, computer, protocols and technology that keeps it running 24/7, 365 days a year. To all of those who operate a .ORG, that’s our promise to you.
The events of 2020 make it even more important that we recognize the courageous work of the .ORG Community. Last month, PIR announced our second annual .ORG Impacts Awards. In late November, we’ll launch our “Ten Days of .ORG Celebration” to honor those making a profound difference in our world.
And you can play a part in that! Encourage your favorite .ORG to nominate themselves or let us know who they are. We all know organizations and individuals out there in our communities surviving the front lines, educating children on diversity, serving a warm meal, and fighting for social justice. While these are just a few examples, there are so many deserving .ORGs that should be considered for nomination. We have the opportunity to say thank you to these incredible group of individuals and organizations. Join us.
Ultimately, milestones such as the 35th anniversary of .ORG are a chance to look back at what’s been achieved. But it’s also a moment to realize what more can be accomplished. PIR intends to expand .ORG globally, invest in tools that organizations can use, and announce new initiatives to offer support to the wonderful organizations that make up this community.