Those names give Web sites their homes on line. Of the 44 applicants for new names, about half got negative staff reviews. Others were given mediocre ratings, and about a dozen seemed to win enthusiastic support. Given the international reach of the Internet, the complexity of these definitional issues is compounded by many diverse cultures and a variety of community and individual views on the answers.
Nothing is cast in stone.
But most observers expect the board to pick about a half dozen names that will be rolled out next spring. McLaughlin said about 800 people have registered for the meeting. Demand for new domain names is intense because the Internet has grown so rapidly. In 1994, very few companies had a presence on the Internet. Within three years, more than 160 million sites are expected to be registered.