Accreditation agencies why isnt legit?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by falseteacher, Jan 3, 2018.

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  1. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    If it's not going to be open to all, as a global TLD should be, it should at least be open to all schools accredited in their country of operation. Otherwise it should have been .edu.us. But I suppose the Americans built the Internet and get the spoils. ;)
     
  2. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    You are not American but just here for the spoils?
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Yes, I am a spoiled American. I still think global TLDs should be global, though.
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Ummm - that presents difficulties. In some countries "accredited" (or equivalent) means a lot. And many private universities open up in accommodating countries that issue licenses easily. That's OK, until some claim that paid permission as
    equivalent to "accreditation" when it's not. From examples I've seen, the domain is not kept under proper control in the US. World-wide use - and abuse - would render it meaningless. But maybe it should be world-wide and we should just stop taking the domain thing seriously and look solely at the underlying school and its specific form of degree-granting permission, assuming it has any.

    That would require thought and judgment, though - scarce commodities.

    J.
     
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Perhaps. But just as helicopter parenting makes kids less capable, so too does helicopter governing make grownups less capable.
     
  6. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    I don't think a grandfathered .edu simply gets passed along. As far as I know, if it expires and is deleted, it cannot be re-registered unless the new registrant meets the current (pretty strict) requirements. So what's going on is that when a .edu is no longer needed, such as in the case of PCU becoming accredited and choosing a new name, apparently PCU *sold* the old name to a shady entity. Certainly not in keeping with ethical operations but then... what do you expect from a former shady school?
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    There's nothing unethical about selling a business, a brand, or a domain name. (That's not a comment on their other practices, though.)
     
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    If you say so, Steve. Got any .edu's to sell? :) But what about Educause? Aren't they supposed to ride herd so those precious domains don't end up on the wrong sort of "school?"

    I think it's OK to sell them - to qualified buyers.

    @Chip. BTW - I'm not at all sure Plantation Christian University sold the domain name to unaccredited Pass Christian U. I wouldn't be surprised if they just let it expire after their name change and it got re-sold once it was vacant. Never heard of Plantation being referred to as "shady" before. Religious school that became RA and changed its name to University of Ft. Lauderdale. Now the others who used that domain -- yeah! "Will the real U. Shady please stand up? Please stand up! Please stand up!"

    J.
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2018
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

     
  10. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    You can't directly sell an .edu domain name, whether you have it by post-2001 rules or one of the old grandfathered ones. But you can sell a school, so that's what I assume is what's happened in these cases.
     
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    (1) Earlier in this thread, Dr. Bear remarked that the url Greenwich.edu probably had some value.
    (2) Chip added that the going rate for a .edu domain was at least $50K .
    (3) Prices for .edu domains are quoted - presumably they're quoted because they're for sale.
    (4) But Steve says that they can't be sold.
    (5) From Steve's statement, one would think Plantation Christian U. must have been sold, for its .edu domain to have changed hands. That didn't happen. The school changed its name and morphed into RA University of Ft. Lauderdale. I think it probable that the domain was virtually appropriated by the next owner. Probably it was vacant and some trifling sum was duly paid.

    So who's right? Can they be sold or can't they? If not, how do you steal one? :D

    PS - Don't forget pcu.edu got reused a bunch of times. I'm sure those "schools" didn't all get sold, complete with domain. So what happened?
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2018
  12. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    According to this, http://library.sccsc.edu/tutorials/websiteevaluation/websiteevaluation-plainHTML.asp :


    Check your understanding: Which URL domains CANNOT be purchased by just anyone and are therefore more reliable (usually)?

    Your answer choices are:

    • .com and .org
    • .org and .edu
    • .gov and .edu
    • .gov and .org
    Answer: (stop here if you're still thinking)

    The correct answer is .gov and .edu. All the other domains can be bought by anyone.
     
  13. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes, that's what it says. So how have "schools" been getting them even if blatantly unqualified? In some cases, it's been done repeatedly.

    Lack of vigilance? Let's all show 'em some vigilantes, then. Sheriff an' me, we'll get a posse together. My rope or yourn?
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2018
  14. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    An excellent question for which I haven't an adequate reply, Sir.
     
  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Thanks. You're very kind, but Sir was my Daddy - not me. I think most of the ...um, "schools" got their undeserved domains the same way Russia got Crimea.
     
  16. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    "Don't call me Sir, I work for a living." That was a standard reply from NCOs if you forgot yourself and called them what is reserved for officers.
     
  17. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    I seriously doubt it. Pretty sure Educause absorbs any .edu domains that are allowed to expire, it's not like the other domains where once they drop, any registrar can register them. As has already been stated, along with .gov, .edu is a restricted namespace and Educause is the arbiter.

    That said, I could totally see that if someone controls a .edu domain, it would be a simple matter to go in and change the registrant contact information.

    Now... the interesting news is... perhaps someone at Educause reads degreeinfo (or maybe it's just coincidence), because as of this moment. pcu.edu no longer resolves, and the Educause whois shows that the domain name is not registered. If that's actually the case, it's great news that Educause is on the case and taking action in these situations.
     
  18. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I dunno - why would they suddenly spring into action after two or three illegal squats on the same domain, going on for around 20 years in total? I seriously doubt Educause reads this or any other degree-forum. Why do I say that? Because I've been raving about this domain-theft on and off for quite a few years and so have others, WAY smarter'n me. I, or someone else asked "where was Educause?" every time - never heard a peep out of them in reply - or saw any action. If I didn't have evidence to the contrary, I'd be ready to relegate Educause to the myth-bucket.

    J.
     
  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I think it's because nobody needed it - by the time Plantation Christian University relinquished it and Pass Christian U. folded and Paramount California U. closed down amid talk of an Axact link ...The next likely candidate, Coronado Pacific U., folded quite quickly amid a lawsuit and racketeering allegations - can't remember whether it snagged the domain or not - gone now.

    No indication of Educause involvement throughout.

    J.
     
  20. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Educause was appointed to deal with the .edu domains by the Department of Commerce, which has the only legal right to do so. Among the recommendations in our Degree Mills book is that the Department of Commerce revoke Educause's commission, and either take on the process themselves, or award it to someone more responsible.

    A few years ago, I was asked to broker the purchase of Greenwich University by a startup school that primarily was interested in obtaining the .edu -- but only if it could be transferred to their school. The people at Educause were quite willing to communicate with me, but quite unwilling to give a definitive response. The new school would have to apply, and then Educause would consider the situation and render a decision.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2018

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