Monday, July 19, 2010 11:42 PM

What is a Domain Name?

According to Wikipedia, A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control on the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS).  OK, that probably made no sense to most people asking the question. 

Let's try it in simpler terms.  A domain name is an identifier of a computer or site on the Internet.  The best analagy is to a street address.  Every house, building or store has a unique street address.  If you live at 12345 Middle-of-Nowhere Avenue Somecity, Somestate 99999, that would be your unique "place" in the world.  Websites work in a similar way.  They all have to have a unique "place" too.  Just like a real place you want to visit, you want to make sure you have the correct address.  The same is true for websites.  The Domain Name System was created so it would be easier for you to remember and identify a website.

There are many technical definitions and additional information about domain names.  If you'd like to learn more, check out one of the books listed below.