So you may have heard that ICANN is planning to help introduce new top domains, or you've come across Idealab!'s New.net initiative, or visited biz.com recently, or been seduced by a dottv advert. But what are all these "new" domains, and what do they all mean?

Old stalwarts: .com, .net and .org

The workhorses of the domain name system, these 3 top domains are the most recognized internationally. These domain names can be accessed from any browser.

Country-level top domains (.fr, .co.uk, .jp etc.)

Each country around the world has a two-letter top domain associated with it. If you do most or all of your business in a particular country, a domain name under the relevant country's top domain makes a good alternative to the 3 "famous" top domains. Note that some countries have complicated restrictions on who can own their domain names. These domain names can be accessed from any browser.

Country level domains masquerading as something they're not (.tv, .ws, .to etc.)

Several countries have sold the rights to their top-level domain to various corporations which are in the business of re-selling these domains. Most such transactions try to conceal the "country" of origin of the domain name by rebranding the domain name with a new identity.

Some examples include .tv (television), .to (Tonga), .fm (radio), .md (doctors) etc. This type of domain name is gradually gaining in recognition, but they are still generally considered poor cousins of the 3 main top domains. These domain names can be accessed from any browser.

Sub-domains being marketed as domain names (.uk.com, .biz.com, .web.com etc.)

Several companies have set up businesses around the allocation of sub-domains while concealing or - at the very least - being vague about the fact that these are not "true" domain names. Remember, you can easily set up (with a bit of technical knowledge and a few $) your domain name so that it can have multiple sub-domains.

e.g. british.people.com, french.people.com, japanese.people.com etc.

The great thing about this type of setup is that it can be done at next to no cost (or literally for free if you have control over your DNS server) So these companies have struck upon a fantastically lucrative business, since it costs them a few pennies to set up a subdomain yet they sell these for up to $19.95 per year each!

Remember, when you're sending traffic to boats.web.com, for example, you're really helping to brand web.com as a destination. Some people may find these kinds of "subdomain" domains interesting - but they are unappealing compared to the "full" domain alternatives listed above. These domain names can be accessed from any browser.

New top-level domains sanctioned by ICANN

Many companies are already taking pre-registrations for the new top-level domains that have been sanctioned by ICANN (.biz, .info etc.) These domain names will theoretically be accessible from any browser once they are fully implemented.

Be VERY wary of any company offering to pre-register these top-level domains, unless they offer this service completely free of charge. The odds against any particular company securing a given domain name are slim to none for a popular domain name.

e.g. 77 companies might all "pre-register" sex.biz, all promising to try their best to get the domain name for their customers. Yet clearly there can only be one owner of sex.biz, so 76 people will go away empty-handed.

Remember also that these new top-level domains may never see the light of day, since there are currently many disputes and litigation surrounding the choice of these new domains and the companies that have been allowed to operate them.

To repeat: NEVER PAY TO PRE-REGISTER A DOMAIN NAME UNDER THESE NEW TOP DOMAINS! 99.5% CHANCE OF WASTING YOUR MONEY!

Alternative top-level domains not sanctioned by ICANN (.web, Alternic, New.net etc.)

There are many companies offering "alternative" domain names that are not officially sanctioned by ICANN. They share a common HUGE DISADVANTAGE: they are not automatically accessible to "normal" browsers.

To access one of these alternative top-level domains, you're going to have to jump through a few hoops, for instance download a plugin for your browser, or change your DNS settings manually. Let's face reality here: 99%+ of the users currently online will NEVER take the steps necessary to gain access to these domain names. In other words, by registering one of these alternative domains, you're cutting your site off from the vast majority of all Internet users!

Numeric domain names

Some companies have begun to sell "personal" domain names based on telephone numbers. These share all the disadvantages of the "alternative" domain names mentioned above, i.e. users have to ACTIVELY take action to make use of such domain names. Approach with great caution!

Good luck navigating the turbulent waters of the domain name market.