Domain Names & Registration         A domain name tells people (and the computers they use) how to find your homepage on the Internet. Each domain name is assigned to a numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address by your host provider. Since people remember names better than numbers, the domain name translates this number into words. The domain name is a lot easier to remember. Rules for .com, .net and .org Domain Name registrations: .com - to be used for commercial and personal sites .org - recommended for not-for-profit organizations .net - recommended for companies involved in data           networking especially related to the Internet Use only letters, numbers, or dash ("-") Cannot begin or end with a dash Must have at least 3 characters, but cannot have more than 67*, (including .com, .net and .org) Domain Names are not case sensitive Domain Names cannot include spaces * .com, .net and .org domain names exceeding a total of 26 characters are supported by most web browsers. However, certain web browsers, email programs and other Internet related applications may not support domain names over 26 characters. Yes. There are additional domains though they may not be yet in effect. .firm for businesses, or firms .store for businesses offering goods to purchase .web for entities emphasizing activities related to the www .edu for educational sites in the United States .gov for U.S. governement sites .mil for U.S. military sites .arts for entities emphasizing cultural and entertainment           activities .rec for entities emphasizing recreation/entertainment           activities .info for entities providing information services .nom for those wishing individual or personal           nomenclature .int for international institutions Here's an extended domain listing. Registration. Once you have decided on a domain name, your next step is registration. Here's a list of ICANN(Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) registrars in alphabetical order by registrar name. The cost of registration depends on the actual registrar. Standard pricing is as follows: 1 Year $30.00 2 Years $50.00 5 Years $125.00 10 Years $200.00 Yes, there are many registrars offering domain names at a much lower cost. Usually domain names are discounted or no charge if you get web hosting services from the same registrar. It usually takes between 48-72 hours to show up in the online whois databases and becomes active. However, most registrars update their databases immediately, so if you query the registrar's database directly, you will probably see your registration for that domain name. Before your domain name becomes active, you must provide a credit card number or any other form of payment. This requirement enhances the availability of domain names by preventing them from being tied up by individuals not intending to pay for registration.