What are the different kinds of domains and how are they used?
.com — ("commercial") The most common extension for domain names. Usually used for companies or for-profit organizations.
.net — Often used for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or any organization where a number of people can exchange information.
.org — Usually used for non-profit organizations or groups.
.biz — ("business") Reserved for use by businesses.
.info — Used for both businesses and individuals. Usage is unrestricted, but .info usually means that the Web site is mostly informative.
.ws — (Web site) An all-around, universally available domain.
.us — Country-code top-level domain available for registrants in the United States. Requires documentation as proof of eligibility.
There are many, many more domain extensions or TLDs (Top Level Domains) available, these are simply the most commonly used.It is recommended that one choose a *.com domain unless one has reason to use one of the other extensions. Some of these reasons may include:
- Your domain is for an organization, such as a non-profit organization.
- Your company is a non-profit.
- The domain name you really want is not available in a .com
- Your organization is for networking in some form.
What are the rules for registration of .biz, .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws names?
The .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws domains are available worldwide and unrestricted. Traditionally, however, names ending in .net have been used by organizations involved in Internet infrastructure activities — typically ISPs (Internet Service Providers) — while .org is frequently used by noncommercial organizations. .biz is available to businesses only. Use of .info implies that the site content is of a primarily informative nature.
How do I qualify for a .us domain?
To qualify for a .us domain name you must meet one of the following Nexus Requirements. The U.S. Nexus Requirement is intended to ensure that only those individuals or organizations that have a substantive connection to the United States are permitted to register for .us domain names.
To be in compliance with the U.S. Nexus Requirement, all registrants for the .us domain must be either:
- A person: (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories, or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions, or
- An entity or organization that is: (i) incorporated within one of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions or territories or (ii) organized or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia or any of its possessions or territories, or
- An entity or organization (including a federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona fide presence in the United States.