.coop is a
sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the
Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and distributed naming system for computers, services, and other resources in the Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use ...
of the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...
. It is intended for the use of
cooperatives, their wholly owned subsidiaries, and other organizations that exist to promote or support cooperatives.
The TLD was proposed by the
National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) as a response to the announcement by the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in late 2000 of a phased release of seven new
generic top-level domains
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is a standards organization that oversees globa ...
in an expansion of the Internet domain name space.
The proposal was backed by many
cooperatives and similar trade groups around the world, including the
International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). The technical infrastructure for the TLD was developed by the
worker cooperative Poptel in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and became operational on January 30, 2002.
The domain's sponsoring organization is
DotCooperation LLC (also known as dotCoop), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA). DotCooperation is responsible for the TLD operation, including the enforcement of registration requirements. In 2005, the
Midcounties Co-operative assumed operation of the domain registry through a subsidiary unit (Midcounties Co-operative Domains).
DynDNS was contracted as the sole DNS provider for the registry in 2006.
Active domains holders are automatically included in an online co-op directory
and registrants receive a periodic newsletter. Registrations are processed via accredited ICANN
domain name registrar
A domain name registrar is a company that manages the reservation of Internet domain names. A domain name registrar must be accredited by a generic top-level domain (gTLD) registry or a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) registry. A regi ...
s or their resellers.
domains are in use around the world, however, many co-ops, as businesses in the global community, also maintain domain names in other generic or
country code top-level domain
A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It ...
s to identify themselves both as a co-op and as a business.
See also
*
Domain name
References
External links
IANA .coop WHOIS info.coop registryList of .coop accredited registrars
Sponsored top-level domains
Cooperatives
Computer-related introductions in 2001
sv:Toppdomän#Generiska toppdomäner
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