Radical changes to Net addresses

misi misi

misi

Growing Little Guru
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20019282-264.html?tag=nl.e703


Come 2012, confused camera customers might be able to point their browsers to a Web address that looks very different from what's available today: support.canon.

That's because the organization in charge of such names, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is planning on a dramatic rewriting of the rules for Web addresses that could demote .com's importance.

Today there are just a few of what are called generic top-level domains--.com, .net, .org, .biz, and .edu, for example. But ICANN wants to open the door to, potentially, hundreds or thousands more of these GTLDs.

That's a big change, especially for those who have a brand to protect on the Internet and were taken by surprise by the virtual land grab that took place with .com addresses in the 1990s. Here's a look at what GTLDs mean now and in the future.

What is a generic top-level domain, and how do I get one?
In an Internet address, the top-level domains is what comes after the last period in the main server address. There are two broad types: the generic top-level domains such as .com and country code top-level domains such as .jp for Japan or .de for Germany. With ICANN's expansion, though, the term "generic" is something of a misnomer: it could include not only something like .auto or .hotel, but also branded domains such as .ibm or .safeway.

When .com addresses became must-have business accoutrements, companies scrambled to register their own or buy them from those who already owned them. Things will be different with the GTLD expansion though: instead of registering a domain for a modest fee through a registry such as GoDaddy, those who want a GTLD of their own must apply to ICANN. And it's expensive: table stakes are $185,000 for the application fee and $25,000 a year to operate the registry. If someone else wants the domain, bidding will determine the winner. And another fee will crop up when a registry is setting up secondary domains on a top-level domain: the first 50,000 are free, but they will cost 25 cents apiece after that.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20019282-264.html?tag=nl.e703#ixzz12AyNVKpL
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Should we apply for one of our own domain?
For a detailed look at the process, check the most recent GTLD applicant guidebook, but be warned: the most recent version is a 312-page, 4.7MB download
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