How Do Domain Names Work?
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Brainstorm
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A web developer needs a domain name for a new website. This domain name is a string of letters, numbers and symbols that an Internet user must type into the address bar to directly visit the website. The web developer must think of a unique URL with .com, .edu, .gov, .org, .biz, or .info at the end: .com sites are commercially related sites; .edu sites are education related; .gov are government related; .org are nonprofit organization related; .biz is for businesses and; .info is for information sites. There are also other types of top-level domain endings. Domain names are usually chosen for their relevancy and ease of remembering.
Checking for Availability
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Users must determine whether or not a domain name is available. This can be done by typing the domain name into the address bar or checking with a web hosting company. If the URL is already owned by someone else, the URL can sometimes be purchased. There are some individuals who make a career of buying and selling domain names. This practice is called domain flipping.
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Creating a Domain Name
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When a domain name is registered, it becomes a parked domain and has the message "Under Construction." The URL is added to the WHOIS database by those in charge of the domain registration. Once a web hosting company has been paid, the web owners can begin adding content to the domain name.
IP Address
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URLs are associated with IP addresses. Every website and every computer have a string of numbers that indicates which server the website or computer belongs to. When a URL is typed into the address bar, the computer user is telling his computer to connect to a specific server where the website is located.
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