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General Domain Name Questions
- What is a domain name?
- What is the difference between Top Level Domains, Second
Level Domains and Subdomains?
- Why would I want one?
- Can I register a domain and keep my personal information private?
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- 1. What is a domain name?
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- A domain name is simply an address on the Internet. Rather
than having to remember a difficult series of numbers (for
example, 208.212.155.9), you can just type in a simple address,
such as SamoaNIC.ws.
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- 2. What is the difference between Top Level Domains, Second
Level Domains and Subdomains?
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- The easiest way to explain this is to use a picture. The
following diagram shows the relationship between the various
components of a domain name.
(click picture for full size view)
As you can see, each part of a domain name is separated by a
period, or a "dot." The top level is the part of the
domain that is to the right of the last dot. In this case, "WS." At each level, the owner of that level gets
to decide whether or not there will be any more levels
below.
Underneath the top level is the second level. This is the part
that you, as an individual or company, can register for your own
use. Third and higher levels are possible, but the ability to use
them is often decided by where you choose to host your domain name
and how much control you have over the setup of that computer.
Ultimately, you decide if there will be any levels below your
domain.
A subdomain is simply a part of a domain. This term is often
used when speaking of a third level domain, such as
"www" or "ftp."
- 3. Why would I want one?
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- If you spend any amount of time on the Internet, you could
benefit from owning your own domain name. Whether you surf
casually or for business, having a domain name provides a
unique and direct way for everyone to contact you. Even if all you do is
share email with some friends or relatives, wouldn't it be
easier to say "Email
me, my address is john@doe.ws" instead
of "my address is johnd3351@really.confusing.isp.com?"
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- 4. Can I register a domain and keep my
personal information private?
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- That depends on who you register your name with! If you
register one of the old, traditional domains like
".COM", ".NET" or ".ORG", the answer is no. Once you register a domain with
them, anyone in the world who wants to know your address or
phone number need only type in your domain name to get all
the details on you.
If you register a name with SamoaNIC.ws, however, your personal
privacy is one of our highest concerns. Your personal
contact information is given out only under the strictest of
circumstances. What we offer you instead, is a safe and secure
way to be contacted. If someone looks up your domain name on our
Whois server, and wants to contact you for some reason, they can leave a private message for you through our server.
Then, if you want to initiate direct contact, you can do so.
Only under extreme circumstances, such as a legal issue or a
trademark dispute, if all other attempts to contact you have
failed, will your address and telephone number be disclosed
to the disputing party, after they have submitted proof of
identification for our records.
Of course, we must disclose any information about any of
our customers if ordered to do so by a court of law, or if we
are required to do so by law.
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