In very simple terms, ICANN oversees the things that go on in the background so that when you click on a banner ad or type in a URL, your browser takes you to the right location on the Internet and you see the content you anticipated seeing.

Two major developments have arisen from the shift in control to ICANN:

1. Registration of a domain name in any of the publicly accessible three-letter TLDs is now available through any of the ICANN-accredited registrars. (Registration in the two-letter TLDs is still coordinated through the database maintained by IANA, which gives the contact information for registering in each country code.)
2. New TLDs are being introduced. The first two of these, .biz (limited to business and commercial uses) and .info (open to the public), begin registration in the summer of 2001, with five others (.aero, .coop, .museum, .name, .pro) to follow. (For the most up-to-date information on the status of the new TLDs, check for bulletins on the ICANN website.)

What's the upshot? While it seems evident that the .com domain will continue to predominate for the near future, the default status that it currently enjoys will likely be lost. For new business websites, .biz is intended to open up some of the crowded space. Certain country codes, notably .cc and .tv, have been made commercially available for uses beyond their geographic description, partly as new alternatives to .com. It remains to be seen how well this will work. As you begin the process of creating an Internet presence, do a little research and find out what TLDs are open to you, prioritize the TLDs in which you want to be found, and use those answers to help you arrive at your new domain name.

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