Intro to Website Technologies

The purpose of this class is to provide a broad overview of the technical components required to have a website.

Domain Names

Domain names are perhaps the most familiar aspect of websites. Whether it is FreeGeek.org or Linux.com, these are memorable names which we can use to identify the websites found at those locations.

Registration

One 'registers' a domain name, by choosing a registrar, finding an available domain name, and paying an annual fee for that domain name.

Some notable registrars are:

• Enom
• Network Solutions
• GoDaddy

WHOIS

Every domain name must have certain contact information available. This is called the WHOIS registry (or database). It is public information, and many registrars sell 'privacy listing' services to hide your contact info and thus prevent spam.

Top-Level Domains

Top-Level Domains, or TLDs, are the technical term for the ".com" part of a domain name. While the traditional TLDs are still available, each country has been assigned a two-letter country code, such as ".us" or ".uk" -- each country controls domains in their TLD, and set prices as they see fit.

URL Structure

1. TLD
2. Domain
3. Subdomain
4. Protocol
5. Path
6. Query String
7. Fragment Identifier