History of Domain Names
In the 1960's the first computers began connecting to each other through Wide Area Networks, or WANs. As the number of computer users and connections got larger in 1972, the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency created the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The Authority assigned Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to each computer that was connected to the Internet.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Eventually, when demand for computers grew, there was a need for an easier to remember system. In 1984 the first named server was developed, which allowed computers to contact each other without knowing the direct path to each other's systems.
Domain Name System
-
In 1985, the Domain Name System began, and .com, .net, and .org tags were launched.
-
World Wide Web
-
When the Internet became more commercialized in 1990, the World Wide Web came into existence. Also during this year, the first domain registration server began operating.
Cost
-
When domain registration first began it was free, but later there was a need to start an organization, known as the InterNIC, to handle the large flow of new registrations. Eventually, the InterNIC started charging one hundred dollars per every two-year registration, due to budget demands. Currently, you can register a domain for as little as seven dollars.
Domain Names Today
-
As of 2009, there are over 19 million domain names registered, with a growth of about 40,000 everyday.
-
