Over the weekend, I participated in the "Tough Mudder," an obstacle course spanning 12 miles over rocky and hilly terrain in Pocono, Pa. Among other challenges, it involved numerous dunks in ice cold water pits -- usually for failing to manage an obstacle properly or sometimes just because they were part of the course.
Months ago when I was originally invited to participate, I seriously debated whether or not to take part in this grueling event. One factor that sealed my decision to participate was learning that proceeds from the Tough Mudder are donated to the Wounded Warrior project, an organization that strives "to honor and empower wounded warriors" with community support and unique services that enable them to readjust successfully to civilian life. Thinking of the men and women who make unfathomable sacrifices for their country, and knowing that my registration for the Tough Mudder would benefit an organization that supports this courageous group of individuals gave me just the motivation I needed to commit to this challenge.
Today, PIR is releasing the results of our bi-annual domain name report, “
A web address is like real estate: it’s all about curb appeal. It’s often the first thing consumers see about a brand or company online, and can make a huge difference when it comes to optimizing online branding and outreach efforts. These days, web addresses are surpassing 20 characters in length, but history has shown that short names really resonate with audiences. 
Last week I attended the Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. It was an amazing event in a fantastic city – Nairobi –a booming tech center and a regional hub in Africa for all things NGO.
As most of you know, in August I announced 
I’m happy to report that .ORG domain registrations grew by 4 percent in the first six months of 2011, and 10.1 percent in the last twelve months – according to .ORG’s “The Dashboard” report. The increase propelled .ORG’s total domains under management past the 9 million mark in March 2011 and is well under way to reaching a huge milestone – 10 million domains!
For the past decade, PIR has long stood as an advocate for higher Internet standards, working tirelessly to serve the best interest of over 9 million .ORG registrants. The core of our mission is to inspire and empower your community by helping organizations, individuals and companies alike to do more with their domain name extension and by providing a safe, trusted venue that brings those communities together.
Buzz Lightyear, the astronaut character from the movie Toy Story, is known for his tagline, “To infinity, and beyond!” ICANN can take a lesson from the ebullient Buzz with respect to accountability and transparency. Just as Buzz believed he could fly beyond infinity, ICANN should view full implementation of the ATRT recommendations not as the last stop, but as the next stop on its important journey of accountability and transparency. There is indeed accountability and transparency beyond the ATRT recommendations.
