An organization's unique name on the Internet. The chosen name combined with a top level domain (TLD), such as .com or .org, also called a "domain extension," makes up the Internet domain name. For example, computerlanguage.com is the domain name for the publisher of this encyclopedia. By 2008, 450 million domain names had been registered of which 350 million had expired.
Dub-Dub-Dub
In order to access the Computer Language Company Web site, you would type www.computerlanguage.com in your browser's address field. The WWW, often verbalized as "dub-dub-dub," is a mnemonic commonly used for the host name of the company's Web server for uniformity over the Web. If there are multiple Web servers, it is actually the host name of the server that balances the workload and distributes the query to the next available Web server.
However, WWW is only a recommended option, and Web servers can have any host name. In addition, most companies configure their DNS records to send all Web traffic to a particular Web server without any host name. For example, typing computerlanguage.com in a browser's address field without the www. is sufficient to go to the Computer Language Web site.
Different mnemonics are also widely used to differentiate sections of the site; for example, support.computerlanguage.com could be a valid name, in which case "support" could not be omitted when typing in the name.
Second Level Domains
Technically, computerlanguage.com is a "second level domain," because the top level domain is .com. Computerlanguage.com is also known as a "root domain." In practice, both computerlanguage.com and www.computerlanguage.com are called domain names or "URLs," although the latter provides specific detail in many cases (see URL).
Registration
Internet domain names are registered with any of several dozen registrars. To find out if a domain name is taken, two popular domain name registrars are Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com) and Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com). See DNS, IP address and FQDN.
Generic Top Level Domains
Following are the generic top level domains (gTLDs). The .com is the most desired because all major corporations adopted it early on, and it became trendy. However, if a .com name has already been registered, a .net or .org gTLD is often chosen. See ICANN.
More Domain Names
In late 2000, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced the following new top level domains (except for .mobi). Top level domains are not added at Internet speed. Prior to 2000, new domains had not been created since 1989. For example, the .mobi domain was announced in 2005.
Expected in 2009, large organizations and industries should be able to create their own top level domain names. A six figure registration fee is also expected. Stay tuned! See New.net and ICANN.
Country Codes
Country codes such as .ca for Canada and .uk for the United Kingdom are widely used top level domains. The U.S. country code (.us) is also used but not widespread. See country code and .tv.
Dub-Dub-Dub
In order to access the Computer Language Company Web site, you would type www.computerlanguage.com in your browser's address field. The WWW, often verbalized as "dub-dub-dub," is a mnemonic commonly used for the host name of the company's Web server for uniformity over the Web. If there are multiple Web servers, it is actually the host name of the server that balances the workload and distributes the query to the next available Web server.
However, WWW is only a recommended option, and Web servers can have any host name. In addition, most companies configure their DNS records to send all Web traffic to a particular Web server without any host name. For example, typing computerlanguage.com in a browser's address field without the www. is sufficient to go to the Computer Language Web site.
Different mnemonics are also widely used to differentiate sections of the site; for example, support.computerlanguage.com could be a valid name, in which case "support" could not be omitted when typing in the name.
Second Level Domains
Technically, computerlanguage.com is a "second level domain," because the top level domain is .com. Computerlanguage.com is also known as a "root domain." In practice, both computerlanguage.com and www.computerlanguage.com are called domain names or "URLs," although the latter provides specific detail in many cases (see URL).
Registration
Internet domain names are registered with any of several dozen registrars. To find out if a domain name is taken, two popular domain name registrars are Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com) and Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com). See DNS, IP address and FQDN.
Generic Top Level Domains
Following are the generic top level domains (gTLDs). The .com is the most desired because all major corporations adopted it early on, and it became trendy. However, if a .com name has already been registered, a .net or .org gTLD is often chosen. See ICANN.
.com commercial
.net network
.org organization
.edu U.S. educational only
.gov U.S. government only
.mil U.S. military only
.int international treaties between
governments only
More Domain Names
In late 2000, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced the following new top level domains (except for .mobi). Top level domains are not added at Internet speed. Prior to 2000, new domains had not been created since 1989. For example, the .mobi domain was announced in 2005.
Expected in 2009, large organizations and industries should be able to create their own top level domain names. A six figure registration fee is also expected. Stay tuned! See New.net and ICANN.
TLD Purpose
.aero Aerospace
.asia Asia
.biz Business
.cat Catalan region
.coop Cooperatives
.pro Professional/licensed
.mobi Mobile (PDA/cellphones)
.museum Museum
.info Information service
.name Individual/personal
.pro Professional
.tel Contacts
.travel Travel
Country Codes
Country codes such as .ca for Canada and .uk for the United Kingdom are widely used top level domains. The U.S. country code (.us) is also used but not widespread. See country code and .tv.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Real Clear Cookies 3.1.0.8 (Windows)
- Real Clear Cookies, a powerful cookies cleaner, allows you to clear all browser cookies from Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, or wipe cookies from a single website or domain name, all with the click of a button. Real Clear Cookies is much helpful if a website or forum has banned...
- Software downloads 2009-11-04
- Firefox hit by multiple drive-by download flaws
- Thank god I am still using 3.0.xxxI still don't understand why the need to make all things software larger and more featured. Also I will never understand why people rush to use the latest larger, bloated package...Bigger is always better......that's why we're fat! =DIE still more secure than FF...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-28
- ShareTool 1.3.2 (Mac)
- ShareTool is hands down, the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to access all of your Bonjour services from anywhere in the world. No server or technical skills required. Also works with VPN connections. For anyone that's been itching to get Bonjour working over VPN, ShareTool is for you! Why...
- Software downloads 2009-10-27
- Auto Clear Cookies 2.1.1.6 (Windows)
- Auto Clear Cookies is a powerful cookies cleaner which enables you to wipe cookies from a single website or domain name, or purge all browser cookies from Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. If you are tired of deleting all your cookies when you want to clear the cookies of just...
- Software downloads 2009-10-20
- Fake 'Conficker.B Infection Alert' spam campaign drops scareware
- Not much they can do.Not much they can do.Email was never designed for security, and it's HARD getting everybody on the same page with a solution that works, because basically every solution we know of pretty much requires everybody to use it. But, unfortunately, it's difficult convincing people running email...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-19
- SmartWhois 5.0 build 242 (Windows)
- SmartWhois is a useful network information utility that allows you to find out all available information about an IP address, host name, or domain, including country, state, city, name of the network provider, and administrator and technical support contact information. Unlike standard Whois utilities, SmartWhois can find the information about...
- Software downloads 2009-10-15
- Typo takes down Internet in Sweden
- A period was dropped at the end of DNS domain name system records for the Swedish top-level domain, breaking the entire DNS lookup chain. A problem during routine maintenance of Sweden's top-level domain, .se, took down the internet for the country for about an hour on Monday night. ...
- News items 2009-10-14
- Dialupass 3.05 (Windows)
- Dialupass utility enumerates all dialup/VPN entries on your computers, and displays their logon details: User Name, Password, and Domain. You can use it to recover a lost password of your Internet connection or VPN. Dialupass also allows you to save the dialup/VPN list into text/html/csv/xml file, or copy it to...
- Software downloads 2009-10-08
- GoDaddy.com Mobile for iPhone 1.0.9 (Mobile)
- GoDaddy.com Mobile for iPhone takes the advantage of domain name registration from the world's top domain name. It features search and purchase domain names, view WHOIS contact details for registered domains, purchase Linux and Windows hosting plans, purchase personalized Go Daddy email and hosted exchange plans, watch Go Daddy's featured,...
- Software downloads 2009-10-07
- iSaveWeb Lite for iPhone 1.1 (Mobile)
- iSaveWeb Lite for iPhone allows to save up to 10 web pages. It gives you instant access to downloaded web pages at any time. With iSaveWeb Lite for iPhone you don't need anymore to bookmark pages you like, just save them to your device and view them offline. Saved pages...
- Software downloads 2009-10-06
- A Different Kind of Phone Service
- Ari Rabban and I go way back - like five minutes. The president of Phone.com (wouldn't you like that domain name) has agreed to meet me at the Short Hills Hilton to talk about his newest venture. Rabban is a long time hand in the VoIP space having worked at...
- Blog posts 2009-10-05
- Spam report: Old school techniques are back; companies on alert
- An old school spamming technique among Internet bad guys - using images to hack their way into a system or spread viruses - is back. Google's e-mail security services team reported Spam trends for the third quarter in a blog post today and, among the findings was...
- Blog posts 2009-10-01
- DNS Enabler 4.0.3 (Mac)
- DNS Enabler allows Mac users to set up a fully-functional Domain Name Server on a plain Mac OS X machine with just one click. It is designed to allow a user to set up domain name information quickly using a single window, in the fastest time. DNS Enabler provides...
- Software downloads 2009-10-01
- GeBin 9.2 (Windows)
- GeBin 9 is the latest version of GeBin. It is a user-friendly, lightweight Web Browser for Windows, powered by Microsoft Internet Explorer. GeBin 9 supports many advanced features, yet remains lightweight and fast. It can even be run off of a portable device. GeBin 9 offers a wide range of...
- Software downloads 2009-09-27
- TZO Dynamic DNS Client 3.3 (Windows)
- TZO uses true Dynamic DNS client/server technology to fix a Static Domain Name to a Dynamic IP address, allowing Internet users with Dial-up Modems or Cable/XDSL/ISDN Modems to host their own Web, FTP, Mail or Game Server or other TCP/IP services from their home PC. TZO makes it easier for...
- Software downloads 2009-09-17
- Will Microsoft always be seen as open source Astroturf?
- Long ago......people gave up any semblance of being able to separate the message from the messenger. We saw it with the anti-Bush tirades, we see it now with the anti-Obama (and the anti-anti-Obama) tirades, as we see it in the anti-Microsoft tirades. Microsoft could announce that the sun was going...
- Discussion threads 2009-09-11
- Family Email Service 1.1 (Windows)
- Our service allows you to register a unique email address containing only your first and last names. A family email address is affordable, comfortable, unusual and prestigious . Your last name is what you should be proud of, so let others see it. It is always been more prestigious to...
- Software downloads 2009-09-03
- Kordil EDMS 2.2.12 (Windows)
- Kordil EDMS is a fully free user friendly and powerful document management software system with power-tools to gather all files within your organizations under a single meeting point. Kordil EDMS is absolutely free for individuals and commercial use without any restriction. Kordil EDMS, free Electronic Document Management Software/System does not...
- Software downloads 2009-08-30
- VisualRoute 2009 13.1e (Windows)
- VisualRoute combines the tools traceroute, ping, reverse DNS, and Whois into a single graphical interface that analyzes Internet connections to quickly locate where outages or slowdowns occur. An IP location database identifies the geographical location of IP addresses and Web servers, showing the path of an Internet connection on a...
- Software downloads 2009-08-12
- Microsoft's Bing invaded by pharmaceutical scammers
- Rogue online pharmacies have found a way to exploit Bing's advertising program. According to a recently released report by KnujOn and LegitScript, 90% of the Bing sponsored pharmacy ads were rogue ones, shipping counterfeit prescription drugs, with the bogus companies participating part of larger affiliate networks like...
- Blog posts 2009-08-07
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
Meet Doc
-
-
Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
- Check out Doc’s Blog on ZDNet
- Help your company, help the earth I want to share with you the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator, which allows you to gauge your organization's environmental impact.
- Which is Greener: Paper or Digital? The Answer May Surprise You Anything we can do to reduce paper consumption is good. But what about the impact of digital waste?
-
Produced by
ZDNet and -
