RFC Document 881 “The Domain Names Plan and Schedule,” was published in November of 1983 by Jon Postel. This RFC outlined the plan and schedule for the implementation of “domain style names.” These domain style names (known as TLD’s) were introduced into the Internet to allow a controlled delegation of the authority and responsibility for adding hosts to the system. Some of the topics contained within RFC Document 881 discuss domain style names (divisions/sub-divisions), requirements for domains, domain servers, problems associated with software at the time (titled “A Catch 22”), hosts and the evolution of the host table, registration of domains, mailbox support, and other protocols.

RFC Document 882 and 883 discuss the concepts and details of domain servers. Document 883, “Domain Names – Implementation and Specification,” was published in November 1983. It discusses the goal of domain names as providing “a mechanism for naming resources in such a way that the names are usable in different hosts, networks, protocol families, internets, and administrative organizations.” RFC 883 is a 73 page document that goes into great detail about name server transactions, name server maintenance, resolver algorithms, domain support for mail, domain name syntax specification, and Internet field formats and encodings.

RFC Document 920, “Domain Requirements” was published in October 1984 by Jon Postel. This memo restated and refined the requirements on establishing a Domain first described in RFC 881. It adds considerable detail to that discussion and introduces the limited set of “top level domains,” as well as the technical language of domain names, and domain name servers.

According to RFC 920 “The Purpose of Domains” is:
Domains are administrative entities. The purpose and expected use of domains is to divide the name management required  of a central administration and assign it to sub-administrations. There are no geographical, topological, or technological constraints on a domain. The hosts in a domain need not have common hardware or software, nor even common protocols. Most of the requirements and limitations on domains are designed to ensure responsible administration. The domain system is a tree-structured global name space that has a few top level domains. The top level domains are subdivided into second level domains. The second level domains my be subdivided into third level domains, and so on.

The initial set of top level domains were:
      GOV (government) to be used for any government related domains meeting second level requirements. 
      EDU (education) to be used for any education domains meeting the second level requirements. 
      COM (commercial) to be used for any commercial related domains meeting the second level requirements
      MIL (military) to be used for any military related domains meeting the second level requirements
      ORG (organization) to be used for any other domains meeting the second level requirements.

RFC 920 discusses the many requirements that must be met to establish a domain; and stresses it must be “responsibly managed.” “There must be a responsible person to serve as an authoritative coordinator for domain related questions.” The responsible individual must be identified as the authority for the administration of the names within the domain, and who takes the responsibility for the behavior of the hosts in the domain, plus their interactions with hosts outside the domain.

The RFC documents from 1983-1985 really define the initial intentions and perceived guidelines of the Internet. There has always been a push to maintain standards of credibility and excellence, while at the same time not constricting or limiting its usage. The Internet was designed to be a free flowing pool of organized information/commerce structured in a logical fashion. It was intended to create reciprocal relationships where individuals both give/contribute, and take/consume. TLD’s are still being utilized by some for there intended purposes; but in recent years there has been an erosion of intent.

Fortunately, The Language of Domain Names (defined and articulated by Anthony Galima) driven by Internet users today is beginning to utilize domains in an entirely new fashion to find information in a more immediate/relevant way. This language is in a state of infancy, but standards of expectation have been idealized and revert back to the initial conception/usage of TLD’s.

For more information about TLD’s and The Language of Domain Names, please peruse Unity 4 Humanity, Inc.’s Global Web Presence, specifically: http://www.BusinessAnthropology.info, http://www.BusinessAnthropology.tv, and http://www.TheLanguageOfDomainNames.com.