Absolutely, I can provide a comprehensive response to your inquiry about the top-level domain (TLD) ‘.tools’.
TLDs are the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. They are part of the text of a domain name that appears at its end. For example, in the domain name www.example.com, the TLD is “.com”.
The specific TLD, “.tools”, is a generic top-level domain (gTLD). These gTLDs are one of the categories of top-level domains maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). These gTLDs usually represent a specific characteristic related to the purpose or theme of the website such as, in this case, ‘.tools’ is often related to sites offering different types of digital or physical tools.
These new gTLDs were introduced by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to increase competition and choice in the domain name space, as per the ICANN website. ‘.tools’ became live on April 29, 2014, as mentioned in the ICANN’s New gTLD Program updates.
The ‘.tools’ domain extension is controlled and operated by Donuts Inc., a leading domain name registration company. This is a perfect TLD for websites that provide or promote tools, whether they are power tools, software tools, cognitive tools, or any tools that make tasks easier. It has a broad application and can be registered by any individual, group, or business.
A few examples of websites using the ‘.tools’ TLD include:
1. www.echo.tools – which provides information about ECHO power tools.
2. www.rpg.tools – a website offering tools meant for role-playing games.
By enabling more descriptive or creative website naming options, ‘.tools’ domain names can help businesses and individuals craft a distinct online identity related to tools, whether its home improvement tools, software development tools, or educational tools, among others.
As a final note, I used multiple sources to pull together this response, including the ICANN’s website and the IANA’s TLD list. The examples of ‘.tools’ websites were found through simple web searches. The Wikipedia page on Top-level domains also provided some useful background information.
Sources:
1. ICANN – www.icann.org
2. IANA – www.iana.org
3. Donuts Inc. – www.donuts.domains
4. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_top-level_domains
5. Examples – www.echo.tools, www.rpg.tools
