.name
Encyclopedia
The domain name "name" is a generic top-level domain
(gTLD) in the Domain Name System
of the Internet
. It is intended for use by individuals for representation of their personal names, nicknames, screen names, pseudonyms, or other types of identification labels.
The top-level domain
was initially delegated to Global Name Registry
in 2001, and become fully operational in January 2002. Verisign
began operating it in February 2009.
Domains may be registered on the second level (john.name) and the third level (john.doe.name). It is also possible to register an e-mail
address of the form john@doe.name. Such an e-mail address is a forwarding account, and requires another e-mail address as the recipient address.
When a domain is registered on the third level (john.doe.name), the second level (doe.name in this case) is shared, and may not be registered by any individual. Other second level domains like johndoe.name remain unaffected.
When the name TLD was first launched, only third-level registrations (and forwarded e-mail addresses) were available. In January 2004, second-level registrations became available. The original intended structure of domain names was first.last.name, so that an individual could get a domain corresponding to his or her actual name.
In November 2009, internationalized domain name
s (IDNs) became available for second and third level name domains names. IDNs are domain names that are represented by user applications in the native character set of the local language.
The name whois
service is available at the URLhttp://whois.nic.name . Domain name registrations are available from accredited ICANN registrars.
In late September 2007, security researchers accused Global Name Registry of harboring hackers by charging money per Whois lookup, The policy of selling detailed registration info about name domains for US$2 each was criticized as hindering community efforts to locate and clean up malware
-spreading machines, zombies
, and botnet
control servers located in the name. The registry, however, does offer free unlimited lookups for legitimate users through the free Extensive Whois access program.
Generic top-level domain
A generic top-level domain is one of the categories of top-level domains maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet....
(gTLD) in the Domain Name System
Domain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. It is intended for use by individuals for representation of their personal names, nicknames, screen names, pseudonyms, or other types of identification labels.
The top-level domain
Top-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
was initially delegated to Global Name Registry
Global Name Registry
The Global Name Registry, Limited was the operator of the .name top-level domain for individuals' names as delegated by ICANN on August 1, 2001....
in 2001, and become fully operational in January 2002. Verisign
VeriSign
Verisign, Inc. is an American company based in Dulles, Virginia that operates a diverse array of network infrastructure, including two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers, the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, and .name generic top-level domains and the .cc and .tv country-code...
began operating it in February 2009.
Domains may be registered on the second level (john.name) and the third level (john.doe.name). It is also possible to register an e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
address of the form john@doe.name. Such an e-mail address is a forwarding account, and requires another e-mail address as the recipient address.
When a domain is registered on the third level (john.doe.name), the second level (doe.name in this case) is shared, and may not be registered by any individual. Other second level domains like johndoe.name remain unaffected.
When the name TLD was first launched, only third-level registrations (and forwarded e-mail addresses) were available. In January 2004, second-level registrations became available. The original intended structure of domain names was first.last.name, so that an individual could get a domain corresponding to his or her actual name.
In November 2009, internationalized domain name
Internationalized domain name
An internationalized domain name is an Internet domain name that contains at least one label that is displayed in software applications, in whole or in part, in a language-specific script or alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi or the Latin alphabet-based characters with diacritics,...
s (IDNs) became available for second and third level name domains names. IDNs are domain names that are represented by user applications in the native character set of the local language.
The name whois
WHOIS
WHOIS is a query and response protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an Internet resource, such as a domain name, an IP address block, or an autonomous system, but is also used for a wider range of other information. The protocol stores...
service is available at the URL
In late September 2007, security researchers accused Global Name Registry of harboring hackers by charging money per Whois lookup, The policy of selling detailed registration info about name domains for US$2 each was criticized as hindering community efforts to locate and clean up malware
Malware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
-spreading machines, zombies
Zombie computer
In computer science, a zombie is a computer connected to the Internet that has been compromised by a cracker, computer virus or trojan horse and can be used to perform malicious tasks of one sort or another under remote direction. Botnets of zombie computers are often used to spread e-mail spam...
, and botnet
Botnet
A botnet is a collection of compromised computers connected to the Internet. Termed "bots," they are generally used for malicious purposes. When a computer becomes compromised, it becomes a part of a botnet...
control servers located in the name. The registry, however, does offer free unlimited lookups for legitimate users through the free Extensive Whois access program.
External links
- IANA .name whois information
- http://www.verisigninc.com/en_US/products-and-services/domain-name-services/registry-services/name-domain-names/index.xhtml.name operator (VerisignVeriSignVerisign, Inc. is an American company based in Dulles, Virginia that operates a diverse array of network infrastructure, including two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers, the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, and .name generic top-level domains and the .cc and .tv country-code...
) website] - .name Registry Agreement
- List of .name registrars