In an e-mail address, the domain name follows the @ symbol, and often consists only of a second-level domain and top-level domain name (unc.edu).
A Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) is a domain name that includes all higher level domains relevant to the entity named. It's like the complete address, without any shortcuts, for a particular computer, so that anyone anywhere in the world can use that address. For a host, a FQDN would include the string that identifies the particular host, plus all domains of which the host is a part up to and including the top-level domain. For example, atlas.arc.nasa.gov is a Fully Qualified Domain Name for the host at 128.102.128.50. In addition, arc.nasa.gov is the FQDN for the Ames Research Center (ARC) domain under nasa.gov.
ibm.com
amy.com
pimples.com
eggs.com
loc.gov
unc.edu
un.org
nando.net
It is the second-level domain name that can sometimes cause confusion and disputes. Notice that you could have completely different Web sites that all have the same second-level domain name, such as "whitehouse," depending on which top-level domain name you add to it (.gov, .edu, .org, etc.) As a matter of fact, some enterprising folks have capitalized on this fact to get more traffic to their sites, as you can see if you type in www.whitehouse.org or www.whitehouse.com. The correct top-level domain name for the official White House site is ".gov," of course.
New top-level domain names have been proposed, including SHOP, FIRM, and NOM.
Also remember that you have the option to register your name under the US top-level domain on the basis of political geography (entity-name.locality.state-code.US). For more information on the US domain, see RFC 1480 - The US Domain. Visit the US Domain Registry for registration procedures.
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This site was created especially for
students
of the UNC School of Journalism's
JOMC 050 Class, and anyone else who may be interested. For more information, please contactdaikat@email.unc.edu Last Updated: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 21:22:16 GMT |