Your
domain name
is your unique Internet address. This address
signifies your website's location on the Internet,
just like your postal address signifies your office's
or home's location in your town. It is the primary
step in building your own unique online identity
on the Internet or World Wide Web (WWW).
For
example, if your organisation's name
is "Sunrise Computers", you could register
a domain name like www.sunrisecomputers.com, so
long as it is not been taken by someone else,
and your e-mail address could be shop@sunrisecomputers.com,
or andrew@sunrisecomputers.com, or similar.
Registering
your domain name is the first and foremost
step to setting up your online identity.
The
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for
controlling IP (Internet Protocol) addresses and
their associated domain names. It also maintains
a comprehensive list of domain name registrars.
Domains are allotted on a first come first serve
basis. Once a domain name has been registered,
it can not registered by anyone else until it
expires automatically on its expiration date if
not renewed or freed up by ICANN.
A
Few tips for selecting your domain name
• It is always best if you have a domain
name the same as your organisation's name.
• Don't register a long domain name, make
it short, so that it is easier to remember and
faster to type.
• Try to make sure your domain tells what
your business or interest is about.
• Avoid using special characters, like dashes(-),
in your domain names if possible
as they are rather difficult to remember. (there
are exceptions to this rule)
Some
rules for registering your domain name
• Only use letters, numbers, or dashes
• Don't begin or end your domain name with
a dash (-)
• Only use up to 67 characters total (try
to use many less than 67)
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