Top-Level Domains (TLDs), are the highest level in the Internet’s domain name system (DNS). They are found at the end of a web address and refer directly to the type or geographical location of a domain. Historic TLDs contain three types: country-code TLDs (for example, “.us” for United States, “.fr” for France), generic TLDs (for example, “.com” for commercial, “.org” for organization), and infrastructure TLD such as “.arpa”.
However, in your question, you have mentioned “.domains”. This is one example of what is called a generic-top-level domain (gTLD). The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global authority on DNS management, expanded the original list of TLDs a few years ago to allow for almost any term, hence the “.domains” TLD was born. You can verify this on ICANN’s official website. It’s part of the new expansion that happened in 2014 to enhance competition, innovation, and choice in the Domain Name space.
The “.domains” TLD is managed by Donuts Inc. an American company that runs various new gTLDs. The intended use for this specific TLD is to provide web space for companies, individuals, and organizations related to the domain name industry.
For instance, a DNS provider, a domain registration service, or a domain market might use a “.domains” TLD for their website to emphasize their commercial focus. An example might be a hypothetical website ‘register.domains’ offering domain registration services.
The introduction of new TLDs including ‘.domains’ has expanded the Internet namespace, giving organizations, businesses, and individuals greater opportunities to brand themselves online, differentiate their websites, and make their web addresses more relevant and memorable for their audience.
It should be noted that with such a wide array of TLDs available, it’s important to ensure that the domain name chosen aligns with the website’s brand or the organization’s mission and is easily recognizable and relatable to the website’s intended audience.
Moreover, different TLDs could be subject to different rules and regulations depending on the domain registrar, and they might also have variance in price. Therefore, domain-seekers should do thorough research before deciding on a specific TLD for their website.
In conclusion, the “.domains” TLD is an example of the recent expansion in the Internet’s namespace, allowing more choice and specialization for individuals and organizations looking to establish a distinctive presence on the World Wide Web.
Sources:
1. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/tlds-2012-02-25-en
2. https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
3. https://donuts.domains/what-we-do/top-level-domains
4. https://www.verisign.com/en\_US/domain-names/domain-extension-definition/index.xhtml
