| This is the second of eight articles about | | | | address (a web page), the domain name is |
| website design. Our discussion will deal | | | | Occasionally, you will see the numeric |
| with some of the issues which need to be | | | | address instead of the domain name. is a |
| considered when developing a new online | | | | perfectly serviceable address and it has the |
| presence. You may have already thought of | | | | same function as is sometimes useful to |
| some of these, but perhaps there are probably | | | | match up a domain name with its IP Address, |
| things which you haven't even considered.In | | | | or vice-versa. This is commonly done with a |
| the last article, we gave some thought as to | | | | utility called "dnslookup". There are many |
| what the company wants to do with its online | | | | dnslookup "gateways" scattered around the |
| presence. This article discusses what kind | | | | Web.Now we'll examine the name itself. Domain |
| of name the online business will have, or | | | | names have at least two parts, separated by a |
| "What kind of 'dot' do I need."The Company | | | | dot or period.The part after the dot is |
| | | | called the Top Level Domain (TLD). The Top |
| The Great American Widget Company is a | | | | Level Domain serves to broadly categorize the |
| manufacturer of widgets, that common | | | | name as to its type or purpose. Common TLDs |
| household item that many find indespensible. | | | | include .com (commercial), .org |
| Until now, however, Great American has been a | | | | (organization), .edu (educational |
| 'brick and mortar' business. With the | | | | institutions), .net (networks), .gov (U.S. |
| founder's son just out of college, he is | | | | government) and .mil (U.S. military).Today, |
| looking forward to expanding the company's | | | | however, you can be a .net even if you are |
| business on the | | | | not a network. (MyCompany.net Sounds big |
| | | | and important, doesn't it?)There are also |
| .net | | | | hundreds of country TLDs, such as .us (USA), |
| | | | .fr (France), .de (Germany), etc. These are |
| .org | | | | in more general use outside the US.Additional |
| | | | "generic" TLDs (gTLDs) have been proposed and |
| .biz | | | | will probably come into general use by |
| | | | sometime in 1988. Domain names ending in |
| .us | | | | .firm, .store, .web, .arts, .rec, .info, .nom |
| | | | and possibly many others will become |
| .tvWhat's with all the dots! What kind of a | | | | widespread on the Net. All this is due to |
| 'dot' do I need?Good question! First, let me | | | | the exponential growth of the Internet and |
| say that if you're in business and wish to | | | | the continued quest for meaningful |
| advertise your products or services on the | | | | names.Addresses ending in .com are by far the |
| Net, you must have your own domain name and a | | | | most common at present; they're generally |
| good hosting provider. Keep your domain name | | | | intended to be commercial in nature, although |
| as simple and focused as possible.A marketing | | | | at present the .com TLD actually serves as a |
| maxim that if you're advertising to the | | | | catch-all for virtually all domain names that |
| general public, is that it is vitally | | | | don't fit the other, more specific TLDs.The |
| important to present a simple, memorable | | | | part of the domain name before the dot is the |
| message. Web addresses are no exception to | | | | Second Level Domain (SLD). If you're |
| this. A well-chosen domain name can be | | | | registering a name, you have considerable |
| absolutely essential to your enterprise on | | | | freedom of choice in what this will be. So |
| the Internet. Some of the words used here | | | | long as the name you choose does not already |
| may be new to you and sound "technical", but | | | | exist under the same TLD, and is not |
| don't worry about it - just think of it as | | | | obviously a famous trademark owned by someone |
| background material. And, as you get more | | | | else, its registration is generally allowed. |
| familiar with the web, it all comes | | | | An SLD can contain up to 24 characters: |
| together.Okay, that said, let's talk about | | | | letters, numbers and dashes are |
| the different types of domain names, and | | | | allowed.Databases of domain records are |
| "Just what is a domain name?"In simple terms, | | | | maintained by InterNIC, the primary name |
| a domain name is a human-language equivalent | | | | registry on the Internet in the US, and by a |
| of an address on the Internet. The text for | | | | variety of similar agencies throughout the |
| the name is called the URL, or Uniform | | | | world. Accessed through a utility program |
| Resource Locator. The URL for the ABC news | | | | called WHOIS, these databases are easily |
| organization is The name actually represents | | | | accessed from throughout the Net. There are |
| a number, or more correctly a series of | | | | a number of sites that permit you to look up |
| numbers, roughly comparable to a telephone | | | | DNS information, the most common of which is |
| number. Like a telephone number, an Internet | | | | you may do well to remember that your own |
| address is unique and no two are the same. | | | | domain registration will become a |
| And, like a telephone number, it serves to | | | | publicly-available WHOIS record. For |
| connect "callers" to one specific place on | | | | instance, perhaps you have a phone number or |
| the Net.There are advantages to using names | | | | e-mail address you'd rather not share with |
| instead of just the numbers alone. The most | | | | literally the entire world... The company |
| obvious is that people can more easily | | | | that registers your domain name will usually |
| recognize and remember a meaningful word than | | | | offer a means to keep your information |
| a long string of numerals. The website is | | | | private.If you are thinking about getting a |
| located at 199.181.132.250, which is the IP | | | | domain name of your own, use the link below |
| address for the site. That number is called | | | | and see if it is available for you. Or you |
| an IP Address, meaning Internet Protocol | | | | can try different combinations. And when you |
| address. Internet Protocol is a standard for | | | | find the right one, you can register it right |
| network communications, which is used | | | | away so your neighbor doesn't get "your" |
| throughout Net.Another, major advantage is | | | | name! You can check out names you like |
| that a domain can be moved to a new machine, | | | | here.Richard Hill makes it easy to learn how |
| where it will have a new number, but the name | | | | to use an autoresponder, showing what they |
| will remain the same. The DNS (Domain Name | | | | are and how to get the most out of them. |
| System) records are simply altered to reflect | | | | Click Here to get your copy of the Free eBook |
| the change, and access to the domain | | | | "Autoresponder Cash Flow NOW!".© 2005 |
| continues unchanged.An Internet domain may be | | | | Richard F. Hill - All Rights reservedRichard |
| the "home" for any number of things: web | | | | Hill makes it easy to learn how to use an |
| sites, mailboxes, files for downloading, even | | | | autoresponder, showing what they are and how |
| entire computer networks. You see domain | | | | to get the most out of them. Go to to get |
| names as part of practically every Internet | | | | your copy of the Free eBook "Autoresponder |
| address. In the e-mail address info @ (a | | | | Cash Flow NOW!". |
| mailbox), the domain name is In the Web | | | | |