Use of the .edu domain expanded

February 22nd, 2003
By Brian Osborne

Previously only available to 4-year universities and community colleges, .edu expands to other institutions.

The U.S. Commerce Department approved a plan that would expand the use of the .edu domain. Previously, the domain was restricted to only four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities; under the new plan, .edu will now be available for accredited organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, such as Bible, beauty, acupuncture, and other specialty institutions.

Educause, a consortium of college technology departments, oversees the management of the .edu domain. The domain was first expanded by Educause in 2001 to include community colleges. Recognized educational institutions will be able to acquire the .edu domain names in mid-April.

So the exclusive club of .edu members gets some new blood. It will definitely be interesting to see some of the new uses of the domain. Usually the domain is seen behind prestigious names such as Duke, Yale, and Harvard. Now the domain can be found behind names such as Barb's School of Beauty and Billy Bob's School of Ironworking.

Some people are already critical of the decision, complaining that the expansion of the domain may tarnish its good name. Well, let's look at the .com domain. I have seen many uses of this domain, and I can't say that any address has "tarnished its good name," even with the growing online adult industry. If .com can take that sort of abuse, I don't think people will have trouble distinguishing Duke U. from Duke's School of Driving. People aren't stupid.

If I am critical of anything it is the name of the consortium that oversees the domain. Don't you think this collection of minds could have come up with a better name than Educause? I guess "Lords of the .Edu" and "We Do .Edu" just didn't make the cut. Nevertheless, the group made a wise choice