The terms “com,” “org,” “gov,” and others are top-level domains (TLDs) that are part of the domain name system (DNS) used to identify websites on the internet. TLDs are the last part of a domain name (the part that comes after the dot). Here’s a quick breakdown of what they typically represent:
- .com (Commercial):
- Originally intended for commercial businesses, but now it’s used by a wide variety of organizations, including individuals, companies, and personal blogs.
- It’s the most commonly used TLD on the internet.
- .org (Organization):
- Primarily used by non-profit organizations, but can be used by any type of entity.
- Historically, it’s been associated with charities, foundations, and other non-profits.
- .net (Network):
- Originally intended for network-related companies, like internet service providers and telecommunications companies.
- Today, it’s used by a variety of organizations, similar to .com.
- .gov (Government):
- Reserved for governmental entities in the United States.
- Used by federal, state, and local government agencies.
- .edu (Education):
- Reserved for accredited educational institutions like universities and colleges.
- Mainly used by institutions in the United States, but there are country-specific equivalents in other places (e.g., .ac.uk for the UK).
- .mil (Military):
- Reserved for military organizations and entities within the United States Department of Defense.
- .io (Indian Ocean, but used widely in tech):
- Originally associated with the British Indian Ocean Territory, but now popular in the tech community, especially startups and projects related to technology or software development.
- .co (Company or Corporation):
- Often used as a shorter, more memorable alternative to .com. It’s also commonly used by companies and startups, especially those in tech.
- .us (United States):
- A country code TLD for the United States, used for websites related to or located in the U.S.
There are country-code TLDs (ccTLDs), such as .uk (United Kingdom), .de (Germany), and .in (India), which are specific to countries or regions.
As the internet has evolved, many TLDs have become widely available for use by anyone, regardless of the type of organization they represent. Some new TLDs are even being introduced regularly, like .tech, .store, or .blog, for specific industries or purposes.
