Frequently Asked Questions about .museum

Index

The questions in this FAQ were primarily taken from issues discussed on the MuseDoma Open Forum. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for in the following digest, please do not hesitate to post your question to the Forum.

... on the application process and demonstration issues

-- who, when, how --

  1. Will MuseDoma verify the eligibility of our organization?
  2. Does a museum have to be a member of ICOM to register in .museum?
  3. When can we register a .museum domain name?
  4. How do we apply for a .museum name?
  5. Can we modify our application?
  6. How much does it cost to register a name in .museum?
  7. Do we need to have a Web site in operation before we can apply?
  8. Do we need to register all variants of our name to make sure no illicit use of our name occurs?
  9. Is it possible to register a .museum name in our own language?


    10. -- using .museum names --
  10. Will MuseDoma point our .museum name to our current Web site?
  11. Can we activate e-mail before .museum is in full operation?
  12. Can we register a .museum name and keep it temporarily hidden?
  13. Is there somewhere I can ask more technical questions?


    14. -- status of applications --
  14. Why is the name we have applied for not listed on your Public Index?
  15. How can we contact you with more specific questions?
  16. Is there a way that we can ask you to reconsider a name that hasn't been activated?
  17. We submitted a name request on behalf of a client, why wasn't it activated?
  18. Do we have to keep the name(s) we requested during the demonstration period?
  19. Several organizations are offering .museum pre-registrations, when will these be processed?
  20. Why have I been put on a DOTMUSEUM-DEMO list?


    21. -- problems and errors --
  21. Our requested name was on one of your lists in November but now seems to have disappeared. What happened?
  22. Why hasn't the .museum name activated on our behalf been linked to our present Web site?
  23. We have not received confirmation that our request was granted, what has happened?
  24. The link you've set up between our .museum name and our present Web site is broken, who do we notify?
  25. I've found incorrect information about us in your WHOIS database, how can it be corrected?

... on the naming conventions

-- policy development --

  1. Who decides on the .museum domain name policy?
  2. How are the .museum naming conventions being developed?
  3. What are the current .museum naming rules and principles?


    4. -- your name --
  4. How do we choose a .museum name for our organization?
  5. Can we seek an exemption to register our domain on the second-level?
  6. Our museum contains the word "national" in its name. Can we use the word "national" as a label on any level?
  7. Our museum name request contains a trademark name. Is it OK?
  8. Are we as a virtual museum restricted in any sense as to what name we can register?
  9. Can we register a domain name intended for a specific part of our activities, for instance an exhibition?


    10. -- second-level labels --
  10. Why aren't museums allowed to register their names directly on the second-level?
  11. What are the second-level labels going to be used for?
  12. Is there a list of second-level domains available?
  13. Can we use the country name or ISO-code as a geographical second-level label?
  14. Why would we want to use a location as a second-level label?
  15. Must we associate our museum with a disciplinary category on the second-level?
  16. Can we submit a name request for each concept that we want to be associated with?
  17. Can we request a domain name using our well-known acronym as the third label under a generic discipline?
  18. Can we request a name where the second-level label is in another language?
  19. There seem to be a restriction on three-letter secondary labels, is that correct?

... on .museum start-up

  1. Why is there a .museum start-up plan?
  2. What phase are we in now?
  3. What are the demonstration periods?
  4. When will we finally be able to make a formal registration?
  5. When will .museum be in full operations?

... on miscellaneous issues

-- background --

  1. What is .museum?
  2. Why have a .museum domain?
  3. How do .museum differ from the older top-level domains such as .com?
  4. Why is .museum restricted?


    5. -- community --
  5. Will virtual museums fit into .museum?
  6. Who besides museum institutions can register in .museum?
  7. We have a well-established domain name now, why would we want to replace it with a .museum name?
  8. What is the ICOM definition of a museum?
  9. Our museum is a non-profit organization but we conduct a good deal of income-generating business, does this jeopardize the basis for our registration?
  10. Will businesses related to the museum community fit in to .museum?


    11. -- MuseDoma --
  11. What is MuseDoma's role in .museum?
  12. Can our museum be a member of the Museum Domain Management Association?
  13. Why would our museum want to be a member of MuseDoma?
  14. Can I join MuseDoma if I am not a museum? What other organizations and individuals are eligible?


    15. -- other --
  15. How do I subscribe to your e-mail lists?

... on domain basics

  1. What is a top-level domain name?
  2. What is a top-level, second-level, third-level label?
  3. What is the difference between a registrar and a registry?
  4. What is "DNS"?
  5. Is DNS used for finding things on the Internet?
  6. What is ICANN?
  7. What are name servers?

11 April 2002 - 09:30 UTC