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One or more computers on the internet
that are described by a particular name and Ip address. For example,
Computers that are attached to the network at The Economist are within the
domain economist.com. Domains and their names are organised hierarchy by the
domain name system. At the top of this hierarchy are the top-level
domains (tlds) seen at the end of an internet address, such as .com, .uk or
.net. below these are the name of specific institutions or parts thereof
within that group, such as "economist", and lastly a name referring to a
specific machine, such as "www". The whole constitutes an internet address
that uses easily memorable, recognisable letters and words;
www.economist.com is a good example.
The
administration of the domain system is a complex business involving a mix of
quasi-public organisations, registries for individual tlds and
private companies acting a registrars. Exactly who has the right to assign
and manage domain names, and who should profit from that arrangement, is
still under discussion. Another problem is that of cybersquatting:
the appropriation of a domain name resembling another company's trademark,
usually in the hope of selling it at a profit. |
