----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">George Garner

To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 9:57 AM

Subject: .com or .org?

This may be more useful for a website developers forum, but since I don't know any of those I'll start here.

 

I've been working with a group to start a webpage for a Museum organization. Some members have promoted calling us www.xxx.com, while others (especially myself) heavily favor www.xxx.org. The .com'ers believe that a number of people do not differentiate between .org and .com and are more likely to start with .com when blindly typing in a web address. I have yet to meet a person who looks for a museum under .com and always use .org.

 

Is anyone aware of any studies or documentation about web users habits regarding .com and .org? Are all of the .org Museum websites out there losing visitors because they do not use or have not registered their name with .com as well? Is their a "stigma" attached to museum's using .com addresses, i.e. do they look more for-profit instead of non-profit?

 

I realize this may not be the best forum, but if anybody has any answers, ideas, or suggestions I would be glad to hear them. Please feel free to respond on and/or off list.

 

Thanks in advance,

George Garner

 

 

P.S. I'm hoping we can reserve both addresses to satisfy both "sides." The problem is what to use for our generic email address - we would have to list it as [log in to unmask] or .org.

 

National Speedskating Museum and Hall of Fame

George Garner, Director and Curator
P.O. Box 3120, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 587-2609

 

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