The domain name is a
generic top-level domain
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet. A top-level domain is the last level of ev ...
(gTLD) 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 or other Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It associates various information with domain names assigned ...
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 use by individuals for representation of their personal name, nicknames, screen names, pseudonyms, or other types of identification labels.
History
The
top-level domain
A top-level domain (TLD) is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet after the root domain. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in ...
was founded by
Hakon Haugnes and Geir Rasmussen and initially delegated to
Global Name Registry in 2001, and become fully operational in January 2002.
Verisign was the outsourced operator for .name since the .name launch in 2002 and acquired
Global Name Registry in 2008.
In late September 2007, security researchers accused Global Name Registry of harboring hackers by charging fees per WHOIS lookup. The policy of selling detailed registration info about domains in ''name'' for US$2 each was criticized as hindering community efforts to locate and clean up
malware
Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, dep ...
-spreading hosts,
zombies, and
botnet control servers located in ''name''. The registry offers unlimited lookups to approved users who sign a 10-page legal agreement.
In November 2009,
internationalized domain name
An internationalized domain name (IDN) is an Internet domain name that contains at least one label displayed in software applications, in whole or in part, in non-latin script or alphabet, such as Arabic, Bengali, Chinese ( Mandarin, simp ...
s (IDNs) became available for second- and third-level domain names. IDNs are domain names that are represented by user applications in the native character set of a language.
Structure
When the TLD ''name'' was first launched, only third-level registrations and forwarded e-mail addresses were available. Second-level registrations became available in January 2004. The original intended structure of domain names was ''first.last.name'', so that individuals could get a domain corresponding to their name.
The purpose of this sharing of second-level names was to ensure that the highest number of people possible could get an email address that included their last name. This sharing did not impact any other people with the same last name, and research by Global Name Registry showed that a majority of the world's population does not have an overlapping firstname–lastname combination.
Usage
Subdomains of ''name'' may be registered at the second-level (''john''.name) and the third-level (''john''.doe.name). It is also possible to register an
e-mail
Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic ( digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" mean ...
address of the form ''
[email protected]''. Email forwarding will be operated by Verisign. The target address can be specified by an additional
EPP mapping.
The second-level domain of third-level subdomains is shared, and may not be registered by individuals.
The
WHOIS
WHOIS (pronounced as the phrase "who is") 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 autonomo ...
service for ''name'' is available a
whois.nic.name Domain name registrations are available from accredited ICANN registrars.
See also
*
Domain name
A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet, such as websites, email services and more. A ...
References
External links
IANA .name whois information.name operator website
( Verisign)
.name Registry Agreement
{{DEFAULTSORT:Name
Generic top-level domains
Computer-related introductions in 2001
de:Top-Level-Domain#Nichtgesponserte Domains (uTLD)
sv:Toppdomän#Generiska toppdomäner