The web's "big bang" sees domains such as .ninja going live alongside the world's first generic Arabic web address suffix.

09:41, UK, Tuesday 04 February 2014

Web address

More than 100 new domain names - including the first Arabic web address ending - have gone live.

Until now, web users could choose from just 22 top-level domain names (TLDs) including .com, .net, and .org.

But because the number of options for website names is running out, some 1,000 new domain names are to be released this year.

The first tranche of around 100 went live on Tuesday.

Some of them are location-specific, such as .berlin for the German capital and .wien for Vienna in Austria, with .london to follow later this year.

Some are wacky ones such as .ninja and .cool.

Others are geared towards specific trades, such as the domain name .build for the construction industry.

But the most in-demand domain is expected to be the suffix شبكة which is pronounced "dot shabaka".

It is the first generic top-level domain in Arabic. Previously the only domains in the code were for specific countries such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Tech commentators have described it as the web’s "big bang" and the biggest "online land rush" in history.

Domain names are overseen by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann).

The private, non-profit corporation was created in 1998. In a blog post it said: "We are creating more online space for this growth, which will allow budding companies to better define their online identities, while helping brands align more closely with the products or services they provide."

Each domain name will cost between £10 and £30.


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