A domain name is an address on the Internet. Just as your street address must be unique so that the post office can deliver mail to you, and your telephone number must be unique so that customers can call you, your domain name must be unique so your e-mail reaches you and customers can visit your Web site.

An international address system, called the Domain Name System (DNS), was developed to ensure that every computer connected to the Internet has its own address.

In the DNS system, however, that address is actually a set of numbers such as , which is called the computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address. Because these numbers are difficult for humans to remember, DNS allows you to assign a domain name, such as google.com, to your IP address.

Why isn’t there a .ker?

There is a body that regulates, organises and creates new Top Level Domains (.com or .uk are Top Level Domains).
This body is the “Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers”(ICANN), which manages the DNS and designates new TLD, establishing standards on which the web is built.

Cornwall hasn’t been included by ICANN on their list.

Top-Level Domain (TLD)

There are two types of TLDs (TLD).

The cc-TLD

These are the Country Code-Top Level Domain.

These domains are made up of two letters, for example .uk, .fr, .es

The assignment of these domains (except for some exceptions) corresponds to the ISO-3166 list of country codes which is the commonly accepted International Standard.

ICANN clearly states that it is not for them to decide what is and what is not a country, and therefore if any country wishes to have its own domain, it must become included in the ISO-3166 list. ISO claim that they cannot include Cornwall in ISO 3166-1 as Cornwall does not meet the criteria given by the UN of being an independent country.

TLDs with two letters (such as .de, .mx, and .jp) have been established for over 240 countries and external territories and are referred to as "country-code" TLDs or "ccTLDs". They are delegated to designated managers, who operate the ccTLDs according to local policies that are adapted to best meet the economic, cultural, linguistic, and legal circumstances of the country or territory involved.

A generic .ker domain is much more realistic for Cornwall.

Generic TLD

Most TLDs with three or more characters are referred to as "generic" TLDs, or "gTLDs". They can be subdivided into two types, "sponsored" TLDs (sTLDs) and "unsponsored TLDs (uTLDs).

Generally speaking, an unsponsored TLD operates under policies established by the global Internet community directly through the ICANN process, while a sponsored TLD is a specialized TLD that has a sponsor representing the narrower community that is most affected by the TLD. The sponsor thus carries out delegated policy-formulation responsibilities over many matters concerning the TLD.

Unsponsored gTLD’s

They are generic domains that are not backed by a community that requires a totally restrictive usage. These domains operate under the policies established by the global Internet community, directly through ICANN. They are:

com, .edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .name, and .pro

Sponsored TLDs

Exclusive domains backed by a a community which decides if a person or legal entity can register a domain, in function of whether or not they belong to the community. There is a sponsor that represents the community. The sponsor is delegated the responsibility of elaborating and administering the policies for the management of the domain. They are: .aero, .coop, .museum and .cat

.ker would be a sponsored generic Top Level Domain for the Cornish language and cultural community