Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are general address extensions such as .com, .net, .edu, .gov, and .mil. ICANN oversees domain assignments and has approved additional gTLDs for businesses, professionals, and individuals. Some gTLDs are still being implemented. The intended use of each gTLD is listed. ICANN is considering many submissions for the gTLD category, but some believe this encourages cybersquatting and trademark infringement.
Generic top-level domain (gTLD) refers to those Internet domains with general address extensions. For example, .com, .net, .edu, .gov, and .mil all belong to the category known as gTLDs. The other category of Internet domain names is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD). This category applies a country code for the extension, such as .us for the United States, .fr for France, and .uk for the United Kingdom.
The original intention of gTLD .com was that it would only be used for commercial activities, while gTDL .net was intended for networks and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Both extensions were used for general purposes as the internet flourished and many people wanted domains that didn’t fit neatly into an existing gTLD category. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the non-profit organization that oversees Internet domain assignments. In November 2000, ICANN approved additional gTLDs including .biz for businesses, .pro for professionals, and .name for individuals. More approvals followed in June 2005 that were still being implemented in spring 2006.
Extensions that currently fall under the gTLD category are listed below with their intended use:
.arpa – Address Area and Routing Parameters (Internet infrastructure)
.com – Commercial but generally used
.net – Networks and ISPs but used generally
.edu – Educational institutions
.org – Organizations
.gov – Governo
.mil – Military
.int – International organizations by treaty
.tv – Sites related to television media
.biz – Enterprises
.coop – Cooperative enterprises (e.g. credit unions)
.pro – Qualified professionals (e.g. accountants, lawyers, doctors)
.name – Individuals and families
.info – Information sites
.aero – Air transport
.museo – Museums
.jobs – Occupation
Still arriving in the gTLD are:
.mobi – Mobile technology devices
.travel – Travel-related business
.post – Servizi postali
.tel – Servizi come Voice over IP (VoIP)
.kid – Children
.cat – Catalan sites
.asia – Asian sites
ICANN is considering many submissions for the gTLD category, many of which have been rejected, including .site and .dot. On May 6, 2006, ICANN disallowed the .xxx extension for adult content sites. Their vote was reportedly based at least in part on issues raised in public comments generated on the ICANN feedback site. While many encourage ICANN to add more extensions to make room for the multitude of sites that are created each year, others believe this is a bad idea. Opponents argue that additional gTLD extensions encourage cybersquatting and trademark infringement.
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