Top-level domain, or TLD, refers to the last segment of a domain name, or the part that follows immediately after the “dot” symbol. TLDs are mainly categorized into two types: generic TLDs (or gTLDs) and country-specific TLDs (or ccTLDs).
An example of a gTLD would be “.com”. According to the Trueserver website, “.com” is one of the original and most recognized top-level domains. It is an unrestricted domain, meaning anyone can register a “.com” domain. It initially intended for use by commercial entities, yet has become widely used for various other purposes, too.
Typical to ccTLDs is “.fr”, which according to the AFNIC (the French Network Information Centre), is the country code TLD designated for France. Being a ccTLD means it is reserved and generally used by a country – in this case, France – as a country identifier.
There is another category of TLDs, which are “sponsored” TLDs, where a specific community that has a close relationship with the TLD is responsible for policies and operations, such as “.gov” or “.edu”. These are often tied to a particular category of organization or field.
The term “.here” does not currently exist as a TLD, according to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is a department of ICANN responsible for coordinating some of the key elements that keep the Internet running smoothly. They maintain a comprehensive list of all active TLDs and, in this list, “.here” does not appear.
The business of proposing and creating new TLDs is regulated closely by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), a nonprofit organization charged with maintaining and coordinating the Internet’s domain name system. While ICANN has been known to periodically open for suggestions for new gTLDs, creation of a new TLD requires a long and detailed process – including hefty application fees that can reach $200,000, not to mention annual running costs.
Since “.here” does not currently exist as a TLD, any website or business with the aim to incorporate this into their domain name would have to wait for a new application period to begin, apply through the appropriate channels, and possibly outbid competitors to gain control of this domain space.
However, it is important to note that owning a specific TLD doesn’t necessarily equate to immediate success. As Matthew Prince, co-founder of CloudFlare, notes, companies considering operating their own gTLD need to account for the fact that it’s a long-term investment, and that securing the TLD is just the first of many steps to establishing its presence on the web.
Therefore, while it may seem appealing for a business or individual to own a unique or branded TLD like “.here”, it requires careful consideration, a significant investment, and a long-term strategizing.
Sources:
- Trueserver: https://www.trueserver.com/domain-names/top-level-domains/
- AFNIC: https://www.afnic.fr/en/
- ICANN: https://www.icann.org/
- IANA: https://www.iana.org/
- CloudFlare: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/top-level-domain/
