Domain Names - Top Level, Mid Level Explained In Plain English

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

A domain name is a textual name that defines a numeric location of a computer on the Internet. Instead of referring to a domain with some cryptic number, you just type in an easy-to-remember textual name instead.

Levels of Domains

A domain name is divided up into portions or sections - and confusingly, these sections are called domains. (Nerds, gotta love 'em). The portions of the domain name are separated by dots. Here are examples of 2 typical names with their domains identified:

Sometimes you will hear about 'top-level domains', sometimes called TLD's. The TLD (or sometimes referred to as the 'parent' domain) is merely the .com, .net, or .org portion of the domain name. While .com, .net, and .org are the most common top-level domain, there are many others, like .biz and .info. Non-US top-level domains may be .au (Australia), .ca (Canada), or.de (Germany).

Mid-level domains are the rest of the name. For the example above, the word Yahoo in the yahoo.com name is the mid level domain. In the japantimes.co.jp domain name, there are two mid-level domains - the smaller mid-level domain is 'japantimes' and the larger mid-level portion is the 'co'. The relative importance of each of the segments increases as you move to the right.

Who Controls All Of This?

These names are like street addresses on the Internet, so by design, only one entity can own a domain name. The names are controlled by an organization called ICANN, which stands for the catchy title of 'Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers'. (No doubt their Christmas party is a blast). This group keeps track of everyone's ownership of registered names, so when you buy a one, no one else can use it. They set up contracts with retail domain registries like Namecheap who actually sell you the domain name and provide you with a web site to manage it.

Learn the basics of Internet Marketing from veteran marketer, blogger and software engineer, Carl Ringwall. Check out the newbie-friendly blog series, Internet Business 101.

Top Level Domains: What Are Top Level Domains?

Introducing '.wateveryoulike'

Brand real estate is about to create a whole new earth in our clouds. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) are the coordinators of unique web addresses, ensuring that computers can find one another across the world, and they have just approved something called Top-Level Domains.

Pretty soon well known domain names like .net, .com, .org ext will expand creatively, exposing a new platform where 'big corporate companies and industries' will be able to purchase land online, expressing personalised web addresses and opening back up many more opportunities to get your dream domain.

For instance;

A company such as 'Ford' would normally have "ford.com" BUT if they wished to, they could apply for "cars.FORD". You could also apply for generic extensions such as.CARS,.BANK,.MUSIC or.HAIR, for companies that come under a certain area such as existing extensions like.travel. Enabling such a proposal will influence people to select their own land in the online cloud, where their URLS are more than appropriate for their market. The change will create memorable, short names revolutionising the web and trade standards where companies may feel they need to fight for their brand names.

The proposition will open big business potential. People who buy certain domain extension such as.music could (perhaps) gain millions of pounds worth of revenue from bands, labels and music related companies who wish to end their URL with.music (as an example).

At present, a few companies have expressed their interest to ICANN with the majority wanting to take their business brand for a Top Level Domain, with the minority applying for generic terms.

Although ICANN state that they are not selling new names, the cost to apply for a new .'BLANK' will be around £115,000, or $185,000 with a further $25,000 maintenance fee. Inevitably such prices aren't helping the situation, with possibilities only being opened for the big shots.

A global campaign is about to commence to inform the world about the future of internet naming in preparation for application acceptances from the beginning of next year, January 12th to be exact.

Technical glitches

Although the idea is creative and will allow businesses and whoever else to build a personal URL, they aren't going to help you with the Search Engine Gang (eg; Google), who do not prioritise Top Level Domain names over others. What could also cause confusion is how companies will express their brand through extended web addresses. Companies may split their brand across an URL which could cause confusion to their market and the internet. The move may increase the chance that businesses may take up all the different options of addresses to hold on to their branding. EG;.twitter, twit.ter, twit.er and so on. Big companies will want to make sure that their market are coming directly to their brand, and not being mislead to another site--potentially leading to the slight decrease in affiliate sites. Also, Lawyers should prepare themselves with the possibility that infringement cases will increase when the approvals start popping up all over the internet.

This is of course good news for anyone who has tried to purchase their business domain name recently and found their name already taken by another company, or worse still an unused link / holding page! We at scotchegg web design wanted our .com domain, but as it was taken instead purchased a .gg domain, so created scotche.gg. But now it would seem there maybe a solution on the horizon.

Hello, I write articles about the web world supplying you with important digital information, and keeping scotchegg up to date! I will be publishing articles exclusive for eZine and also on my home blog at scotchegg birmingham web design So please drop me a comment!! Hayley