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What's in a Name? TechTalk Graphic

Meg A. Byte, a pseudonym for technology writer, educator, and educational technology consultant Constance Bleiler, is Education World's technology expert.

Dear Meg A. Byte,
I'm interested in setting up an address for an Internet site for personal use. How do I go about doing it? Any tips?
Captain Namo

Dear Captain,
Setting up an Internet address -- also called a domain name -- can be done in several ways. As with anything else, however, you need to take a few preliminary steps. Begin by doing your homework. Figure out whether you want to use your current Internet service provider (ISP) to host your domain or whether you want to use a different host. Check out things like service options, price, and length of contract to determine what best suits your needs. Most hosts charge yearly rates between $19 and $35.

Next, start thinking about the domain name you want to use. Make sure you choose a name that fits the purpose of the site. If you plan to sell fish online, for example, fishmonger.com is probably a better name than deadfish.com. Of course, once you choose a name, you first have to make sure someone else hasn't registered it already. (Even addresses that aren't active could be registered.) Almost all the sites that register domain names will let you search existing names prior to registration. Or you can check the list of registered names at InterNIC.

You'll also want to check out a few hosts/registrars before you choose one to sign up with. Though most offer variations on the same theme, the perks -- e-mail accounts, server space, additional site utilities, and so on -- can make a difference. Two sites, NTT/VERIO and RegisterClub.com, are both easy to navigate, and they make the process relatively simple.

Finally, make sure the site you register with is authorized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names, the governing body for domain names.

For a more detailed overview on how the domain name game works, visit So You Want to Buy a Domain? or InterNIC.

Good luck!
Meg