@dangillmor The problem is that it's actually verification by some other website, and people who need to rely on verification don't know whether that other website is the kind of impostor you've probably seen in high-quality phishing attempts. I could register imreallytaylorswift.com right now (as I write, it is available), and verify my account with that; that doesn't make me really Taylor Swift.
@rst @dangillmor This is true in principle, but the example you give is a bit contrived. Using, as I do, my web site under a university domain ought to be 100% safe if the IT security folks at that university know their métier (as they do, it is Aalto University).