Everything Everywhere Daily Top-Level Domain Names
Oct 6, 2025
Explore the fascinating world of top-level domains in the digital realm! Discover the staggering number of over 1,400 TLDs beyond the familiar .com and .org. Unearth the origins of country codes and their strategic use to prevent political conflict. Delve into the economics of TLDs, including how countries like Tuvalu profit from .tv and the rise of unexpected winners like .xyz. Plus, find out why most people still cling to .com despite countless options. It's a deep dive into the unseen world governing our internet experience!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
DNS Is A Hierarchical Name System
- The domain name system is a hierarchical lookup that maps human names to numeric IP addresses.
- Top-level domains sit at the highest level and underpin almost every internet lookup.
There Are Many More TLDs Than You Think
- There are roughly 1,400–1,500 TLDs, far more than the handful most users know.
- TLDs split broadly into generic TLDs and two-letter country-code TLDs.
ISO Codes Became Country TLDs
- ISO 3166 established two- and three-letter country codes in 1974 to standardize country identifiers.
- The DNS adopted the ISO two-letter codes for country TLDs to avoid political disputes over country lists.