Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Master of My Domain

I don't understand the internet at all.  What is a domain, and how can somebody create a bunch of them, and sell them? 

Who "owns" the internet, where is it located, how do the "providers" we buy access to the internet from, get it in the first place?

I know Al Gore didn't really invent it, nor did his predicessor whose name I cannot recall, but who really did, how, but I think I know why...so the military could communicate with itself.... right?

If you "buy" a domain, what can you do with it?  What good is it?  Would I be Chas@Dribble.Ferris?  My keyboard thinks that is a LINK.  Just try it.


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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Imagine, I had to look up Vice Presidents to remember Dan Quale. How's that for memory loss?

Anonymous said...

A domain is your own paid site to do with what you want with it,most of them are porn or some sort of on-line store that can make you money. you are close on the military , most of what civilians have today is a by product of military research, like on star and gps

Anonymous said...

Good questions Chuck. I don't know the answers to very many of them. I have a domain name www.madcobug.com and have it coming to my journal. That way it is easy to tell my friends how to get to my journal.One thing I do know is I like the internet LOL. How else would we have some many distant friends? Helen

Anonymous said...

I have to tell you:  I LOVE THE INTERNET!!  However, I don't understand the what and how about it.  I had a domain to get the word out about the ministry I had in Mexico, to garnr support, etc.  From the e-mail account on my site, I sent weekly letters.  A friend paid for the service for me.  There are times - not as often now - when I open up the internet in the morning and leave it on until I fall asleep at night.  And I have so many good friends here in J-Land.  How else would I know you?  Blessings, Penny  http://journals.aol.com/firestormkids04/FromHeretoThere http://journals.aol.com/firestormkids04/TimeforaLittlePoetry

Anonymous said...

Here's how it works. Anyone can register a domain name that isn't taken, such as www.chuckferris.com or www.dribblebychuck.org. They pay a fee to register it, and also pay whoever "hosts" the domain, as AOL hosts your blog. I registered www.mavarin.com through Yahoo and pay Yahoo monthly to keep it, but by doing that I have a simple web address to promote my unsold books, as opposed to a longer web address through AOL. People get their own domain if they want to sell something, want to establish a "brand" identity, want a simple web address that people can find easily, or just have a lot of stuff they want to put online.

There was a time when companies would buy up lots and lots of likely domain names, hoping someone who needed them would pay extra to get them. But at some point, courts decided (or a law was passed, I forget which) that a well-known person or company has a right to their own name as a domain name. Nobody else can hold that domain name for ransom.

I hope that helps!

Karen

Anonymous said...

Oh, and to answer more of your questions: nobody owns the Internet, but there are regulating agencies that help to set standards and keep track of web address registration. Other companies sell you access to the Internet. Basically this means that AOL and Yahoo and lots and lots of other companies have large computers called servers that "host" web sites, storing the files and providing connection equipment (dial-up, broadband, etc.) These servers are all over the world, so the answer to "Where is the Internet?" is this: it's everywhere that has a computer and an Internet connection.

K.

Anonymous said...

    Tried it and I lost your post. I bet anything if I emailed you at that address it would go nowhere. Lost in space, so to speak. Innerspace.
Jude
http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay