Domain Primer
Domain names were devised to make Internet Protocol (IP) numbers easier to remember. Our main domain, cybermesa.com, represents the IP address of 198.59.109.7. The primary server for our domain (also called the host) is named internet, so cybermesa.com, internet.cybermesa.com and 198.59.109.7 are interchangeable. They are also unique among all the addresses of the Internet.
When we talk about domain names, we generally mean the part of the email address after the @ symbol, for example, cybermesa.com. On a technical level, however, domains are defined somewhat differently:
 | | | | | |
| | | | | |
| Third
Level
Domain | | Second
Level
Domain | | Top
Level
Domain |
| | | | | |
| internet | . | cybermesa | . | com |
| a | | | | |
| Often refers to a specific server | | In our case,
the name of
our company | | The
acromyn is TLD |
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The top level domain (TLD) gives us some information. The three-letter TLD's define the type of organization, while two-letter TLD's are country codes. New top level domains will probably become available as the Internet grows. Here are the current generic top level domains:
| .com | Commercial (the most popular TLD) |
| .edu | Four-year college or university |
| .gov | US government |
| .int | International |
| .mil | US Military |
| .nato | NATO |
| .net | Network (also an alternative to .com) |
| .org | Non-profit organization |
IANA (the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) maintains a list of the two-letter country codes used for TLD's. Note that some entrepreneurs have attempted to transform country codes into top level domains that might rival the three-letter TLD's. For example .cc (Cocos Islands) is promoted as a new commercial alternative to .com. Similarly, .ws (Western Samoa) is touted as a top level domain that stands for "world site". If you do not mind a less popular TLD, there are many more second level domains from which to choose.
There are a number of limitations for domain names. They can contain letters and numbers, but the only special characters recognized are dashes and underscores - and those cannot be at the start of the name. The domain name, inclusive of the TLD extension and exclusive of the third level domain, can contain a whopping 67 characters. The domain name should be all lower case, an Internet convention that prevents all kinds of confusion.
Domain names are controlled by "registries", Internet organizations that, in exchange for an annual fee, keep track of domain ownership and ensure that the domain is "advertised" to all the network centers that act as intersections on the backbone. There are several dozen registries by now, some with very competitive pricing. Cyber Mesa tends to use the older registries that have an established track record.
Over the years, there have been a number of disputes over domain name ownership, often based on purported trademark infringements. The best way to protect a domain from possible challenges is to apply for a US trademark.
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