In the last 30 years, the Internet has evolved from an unknown phenomenon used primarily by academics and researchers to a global communication, commerce and information sharing channel that few could imagine life without. Let’s take a look at how .COM has helped shape the Internet and life as we know it today. The following infographic illustrates the journey from the first .COM domain name to the present.
Your domain name is the address of your business or organisation on the internet. Don’t choose it casually. Once you have chosen this address it won’t be very easy to change it because you would have invested a lot in it. Think domain purchasing and renewal costs, contacts who already know your address and loss of traffic to your already known address.
So how exactly do you choose a domain name? This infographic helps you come up with the best possible domain name.
Your domain name doesn’t have to be your business name. Try using keywords that describe your business services or brand. For example, if you’re based in Harare and you want to be known for your unsurpassed quality, “bestbakeryinharare.com” is a great option.
With millions of web addresses in use, make yours catchy and memorable. Need ideas? Try a name discovery tool to help you brainstorm domain name ideas.
Domain extensions (e.g. .com, .net, .co.zw) can have specific uses, so make sure to choose one that is aligned with your business, is credible, and is widely recognized. Customers should feel safe visiting your website, so a domain name extension your customers know and trust is important.
Consider purchasing various domain extensions, as well as alternative spellings of your domain name.
Domain names are the basic building blocks of how we use the internet. They are the essentials of a user friendly internet experience. They are what enables us to use our favorite email service, access your website, read news online, Google any subject matter and even login to our favorite social network. This article will explore the history of domain names in Zimbabwe and on the international scenes. Knowing how domain names work enables us to appreciate their importance in our personal lives and in business.
Computers on the internet have unique IP addresses that they use to locate and communicate with one another. These numbers are difficult for humans to remember. This is where domains come in. Domain names are the way the internet is organised, navigated and understood.
A domain name is a unique name that identifies and links to the address of a resource on the internet.
Without domain names, URLs would be a series of numbers, or IP addresses, that would be difficult to remember. However, a domain name gives us an address that is easier to remember. A domain name is key to doing just about anything on the Internet, from setting up a website to sending and receiving e-mail to building an online shop.
The system that links the domain names and IP addresses on the internet is called the Domain Name System or DNS. This is done through what are called DNS records. These DNS records tell other computers on the internet things like where the website is located, where to deliver emails and so on.
Domain names are generally divided into two parts: the second level domain and the top level domain.
This is the customisable part of the domain name that people, organisations or companies register to represent them on the internet.
Top-level domains (also known as TLDs) are the next level of organisation on the internet. There are typically two kinds of TLDs, which are:
Generic TLDs (gTLDs): the top level domains like .com, .net, .org, etc. As from 2012, it is now possible to register hundreds of other new TLDs like .website, .company, .holdings, .clinic and more.
Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs): these are two letter country codes that are approved for use by countries (i.e., .zw, .uk, .za, etc.). Its also important to note that most countries break the ccTLD further to allow for industry segmentation e.g. .co.zw for commercial companies, .org.zw for non-profit making organisations or .ac.zw for academic institutions. There are about 250 ccTLDs in all.
The history of the internet is not very old.
The organisation that is responsible for domain names worldwide is ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) which was formed in 1998. ICANN develops internet policies, contracts domain registries and accredits domain registrars. Domain registries are organisations that manage a particular TLD e.g. Verisign manages the .com, .net, .tv, .cc and .name TLDs. ICANN also has agreements with registries responsible for each country ccTLD. Domain registrars are organisations that sell domains to the public. They do so directly to registrants (individuals and organisations who register a domain) or through resellers.
The administration and management of the .zw ccTLD falls under POTRAZ . The .zw ccTLD was created on 6 November 1991 (IANA). The very first domains in Zimbabwe were registered using the .zw ccTLD e.g. mango.zw and healthnet.zw. These are the only two remaining such domains in Zimbabwe.
POTRAZ sub-divided the .zw into segments (ccSLDs or country code second level domains) to ZISPA, UZ Computer Centre, Telone and GISP as follows:
ZISPA was founded in late 1997 to early 1998. ZISPA (the Zimbabwe Internet Service Providers’ Association) is an independent and voluntary association established to represent all the major ISPs in Zimbabwe and deal with matters relating to the provision of Internet access in Zimbabwe.
ZISPA is responsible for the administration and management of the .co.zw domain registry.
The UZ Computer Centre manages the administration of the .ac.zw domain registry. The .ac.zw domains are reserved for academic institutions only.
The government parastatal Telone manages the .org.zw domain registry through it’s Comone division. The .org.zw domains are reserved for organisations like churches, non-profits, associations and the like.
The Government Internet Service Provider (GISP) manages the domain registries for .gov.zw domains (for government departments and parastatals) and .mil.zw domains (for military departments).
