Where Did We Come From and Where Are We Now? Outstanding Review of  Domain Industry History Has the Illuminating Answers

When people talk about when the domain industry began the conversation usually starts from what would seem to be the obvious place - the creation of the Domain Name System (DNS) from an idea born in 1983. But the story actually starts years before that - many years in fact - all the way back to 1958 when then U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to spearhead research and development projects to extend the boundaries of technology and science, beyond immediate military needs. 

The evolution of that process led directly to the creation of the DNS with groundbreaking interim steps along the way including the launch of ARPANET in 1969, the sending of the first email in 1971, a 1981 paper proposing the creation of "Internet Domain Names" and ARPANET's switch over to TCP/IP in January 1983. An outstanding new Domain Name Industry History, published by Simone Catania, the Global Content & Communications Manager at InterNetX, details all of that early history but also continues the story right through to the point we are at today (a robust "future" that the original pioneers almost certainly could never have imagined).

It is an excellent reference that puts all of the key information in one convenient place that you will likely find yourself returning to over and over again. It will tell you what the original six TLDs, created at the end of 1984, were, what the first domain name ever created in January 1985 was (as well as the rest of the first ten, including the first .com domain in March 1985). There is also the first ccTLD (.US), when domain registrations were first made available to the public...and right on through just about every major development since then, including the new gTLD program that has pushed the number of TLDs available today past the 1,500 mark.

Author Simone Catania provided this list of some highlights from the article:

• In-depth analysis: A thorough exploration of the domain name industry's history, covering nearly 40 years of innovation, technological breakthroughs, and the emergence of domain names as fundamental to branding in the 21st century.
  

• Pioneer Profiles: Descriptions of Internet pioneers such as Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel, among others, whose contributions laid the groundwork for our industry.
  

• Fascinating Facts & Figures: From the first .com registered domains to the highest domain sales, this article contains data and statistics that outline the industry's evolution.
  

• Links to other resources: Navigate through the critical events and milestones with embedded links designed to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the domain industry's rich history.

Better yet, all of that is free of charge to anyone who wants to learn more about this amazing industry so many of us have found a home in today. It's a link I think you'll want to keep close at hand: https://snapshot.internetx.com/en/domain-name-industry-history-facts-figures/

(Posted June 25, 2024)  

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