What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is a unique alphabetical "address" of a computer on the Internet. The address of any web page includes the domain name as the first part of the address.

Some organizations will have many domain names, but part of the name will be present in all names for that organization. Some examples of domain names at OSU include:

• oregonstate.edu is OSU's main website
• oasis.oregonstate.edu is the Library's online catalog
• math.oregonstate.edu is the Department of Mathematics
• bus.oregonstate.edu is the College of Business
• cof.oregonstate.edu is the College of Forestry

You can use the following to help understand more about the "owners" of domain names:

• .com - company or commercial sites, often Internet Service Provider sites.
• .edu - U.S. colleges and universities
• .gov - U.S. governmental sites, these will often have useful information
• .org - not for profit agency sites, sites for professional organizations, etc.
• .net - also usually commercial sites, generally somewhere between .com and .org for credibility.

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