Head First HTML with CSS

Q: Why is it called a “domain name”
rather than a “Web site name”?
A: Because they are different things.
If you look at www.starbuzzcoffee.com,
that’s a Web site name, but only the
“starbuzzcoffee.com” part is the domain
name. You could also create other Web
sites that use the same domain name, like
corporate.starbuzzcoffee.com or employees.
starbuzzcoffee.com. So the domain name
is something you can use for a lot of Web
sites.
Q: If I were going to get the domain
name for Starbuzz, wouldn’t I want to
get the name www.starbuzzcoffee.com?
Everyone seems to use Web sites with
the www at the front.
DO try this at home
there are no
Dumb Questions
A: Again, don’t confuse a domain name
with a Web site name: starbuzzcoffee.com is
a domain name, while www.starbuzzcoffee.
com is the name of a Web site. Buying
a domain is like buying a piece of land,
let’s say, 100mainstreet.com. On that land
you can build as many Web sites as you
like, for example: home.100mainstreet.
com, toolshed.100mainstreet.com and
outhouse.100mainstreet.com. So www.
starbuzzcoffee.com is just one Web site in
the starbuzzcoffee.com domain.
Q: What’s so great about a domain
name anyway? Do I really need one? My
hosting company says I can just use their
name, “www.dirtcheaphosting.com”?
A: If that meets your needs there is
nothing wrong with using their name. But
(and it’s a big but) here’s the disadvantage:
getting connected
should you ever want to choose another
hosting company, or should that hosting
company go out of business, then everyone
who knows your site will no longer be able
to easily find it. If, on the other hand, you
have a domain name, you can just take that
with you to your new hosting company (and
your users will never even know you’ve
switched).
Q: If domain names are unique, that
means someone might already have
mine. How can I find out?
A: Good question. Most companies
that provide registration services for domain
names allow you to search to see if a name
is taken (kind of like searching for vanity
license plates). You’ll find a list of these
companies at
http://www.internic.net/regist.html
It’s time to seek out a hosting company and grab a domain name for your site. Remember,
you can visit Head First Labs for some suggestions and resources. Also, remember that
you can complete the book without doing this (even though you really should!).
My Web Hosting Company:
My Domain Name:
A Web Detour
Here’s an exercise you really need to go off and do on your own. We’d love to
personally help but there’s only so much you can ask of book authors (and feeding
the cat while you’re on vacation is probably out too).
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