Top-level domains used to be limited, but new TLDs will go for a relatively low cost. Image: Flickr / bloggingbookshelf / CC-BY-SA
Top-Level Domain extensions of the web, usually known as TLD extensions, are the short extensions that come after the “dot” in a web address. The nonprofit organization that manages these domains will be opening up registration for custom TLDs.
Plans for new TLDs
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a nonprofit organization charged with organizing an managing the domain names that drive the web. These top-level domain extensions direct web traffic through Domain Name Servers, which are controlled by ICANN. ICANN is moving forward with a plan to introduce new, customizable TLDs. This means that rather than facebook.com, the company could own photos.facebook or a college could own grades.cornell. The custom domain names will cost $185,000 each.
Arguments against new TLD
The plan to introduce new top level domains has not been universally popular. Advertisers, businesses, and governments have come out against the move because they believe it will increase cost, make copyright and trademark enforcement exponentially more difficult. The new TLDs will also make internet fraud more difficult to track down, because $185,000 is a relatively low entry cost for fraudsters to register domains such as face.book and put them to use. Estimates say the move to introduce new TLDs will cost companies millions of dollars.
A study of a new TLD
Within the last few months, a new top-level domain has been introduced and provides an interesting case study of how these new domains may work in the real world. The .xxx domain was recently introduced as a new option for domain name registrations. While initial reports were that huge numbers of colleges, brands and websites were pre-registering .xxx domains to prevent fraud and misuse, the reality has turned out differently. About 55,000 .xxx domains have been registered, while many popular words, such as gay.xxx, are being sold off at auction. Several organizations, though, have specifically stated that they do not intend on registering .xxx counterparts to their brand.
