> > * Most NFP entities are struggling for funds and cannot afford this
> > additional overhead.
>
> A bit of a generalisation to say "most". I'm on this "keep org/asn/id.au
> free" side of the fence, but I'm definately not naive enough to think that
> most NPO's and individuals can't afford a domain registration!

Certainly the world of NFP's is not a level playing field.

You have charities operated by churches and the like who run multi million
dollar budgets each year, and to them $50pa would be less than their staff
coffee bill for the week.  At the other end of the scale, you have small
'grass roots' organisations who survive/exist only on the time and money
that the individual volunteers can put in.  These are too numerous to
mention.  Whilst these smaller ones hardly register a blip on the community
radar, they are by far the most numerous in the NFP world.  Their low
profile is often due to their limited resources to grow and/or promote
themselves.

Now to further complicate matters, the .asn.au & .org.au namespace have the
likes of football clubs, rsl clubs, etc within it.  These, whilst
associations or organisations in the definitions, usually have significant
budgets and trading activities, and again would need little assistance in
covering a $50pa domain fee.

So where to?  I like the idea of a govt. subsidy/rebate for domain fees, but
this (imho) should be means tested, rather than across the board.  This
would allow the smaller, less financial community NFP's to continue without
a cost burden, whilst the larger 'commercial' NFP's who can afford it would
pay.

much to think about.

Cheers,
Andrew.
<disclaimers... I run a web hosting company, help a local youth charity,
donate far too much money to that and my SES unit, am an emergency service
volunteer (15yrs), and founded the Australian Emergency Services Volunteers
Network>


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