.org
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Introduced | 1985 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Generic top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Public Interest Registry (operated by Afilias) |
| Sponsoring organization | Not technically sponsored, but PIR is connected with the Internet Society |
| Intended use | Miscellaneous organizations not fitting in other categories (generally noncommercial) |
| Actual use | Nonprofits; personal sites; open-source projects; sometimes used by commercial entities |
| Registration restrictions | None |
| Structure | Registrations at second level permitted |
| Documents | RFC 920; RFC 1591; ICANN registry agreement |
| Dispute policies | UDRP |
| Web site | Public Interest Registry |
.org (organization) is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) used in the Internet's Domain Name System. In the typical style of most gTLDs, .org is sometimes pronounced in word form as 'dot-org' when spoken, although, also consistent with the style, not all users of the TLD agree on this usage.
.org was one of the original top-level domains, established in January 1985, originally intended for use by organizations that did not meet the requirements for other gTLDs. Now anyone can register a .org domain. .org was the domain commonly recommended for use by individuals, although .name and .info are now alternatives.
The .org TLD has been operated since January 1, 2003 by Public Interest Registry.
Although organizations anywhere in the world can register .org domains, many countries have a second-level domain with a similar purpose under their own country code TLD. Such second-level domains are usually of the form .org.xx or .or.xx, where xx is the ccTLD.
In the US, the .org TLD is mostly associated with non-profit organizations, due to the TLD's early adoption by the open-source movement, as opposed to the .com domains used mostly by companies. While it is true that many open source projects use .org domains (OpenOffice.org even has it in the product name), most .org domains do not qualify for this generalization, as the idea is not about software, but rather that the organization is likely to be a non profit one. Political parties, such as the following, have domain names ending in .org:
- United States Democratic Party: [1]
- United States Libertarian Party: [2]
- Union for French Democracy (UDF): [3]
- Union for a Popular Movement (UMP): [4]
Some diplomatic missions, such as the Togolese Embassy in Paris ([5]), have websites ending in .org.
Registrations are processed via accredited registrars and some categories of internationalized domain names may also be registered (see details).
[edit] External links
| Generic top-level domains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Unsponsored | .biz .com .edu .gov .info .int .mil .name .net .org | |
| Sponsored | .aero .cat .coop .jobs .mobi .museum .pro .travel | |
| Infrastructure | .arpa .root | |
| Startup phase | .asia .tel | |
| Proposed | .berlin .bzh .cym .gal .geo .kid .kids .mail .nyc .post .sco .web .xxx | |
| Deleted/retired | .nato | |
| Reserved | .example .invalid .localhost .test | |
| Pseudo-domains | .bitnet .csnet .local .onion .uucp | |
| Unofficial | see Alternative DNS roots | |
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See also: Country code top-level domains |
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