When the .museum top-level domain became available on the Internet on 1 November 2001, museums were invited to request names for inclusion in the so-called "demonstration phase" of the domain's start-up activity. All of the names that were activated in this demonstration may be seen on an index, that has subsequently been expanded on an on-going basis.
Many of the names that were suggested fell outside the scope of the initial selection criteria for the demonstration while other names did not conform to the .museum policies. Museums that requested names that were not included in the demonstration were advised that this in no way constituted the rejection of those names for later registration. All requested names were reserved for the museums that proposed them, whether or not they were included in the demonstration, and remain available for them to register.
Registration
Names in .museum are now being formally registered by authorized registrars. Before processing an application, a registrar requires certification that the applicant is:
and that
Through what are formally termed "Eligibility and Name Selection Services" (abbreviated as "ENS services"), MuseDoma validates the eligibility of an applicant and the suitability of its requested names. When this has been done, the applicant is given a "Community ID" (also referred to as an "ENS ID") to take to the registrar. An applicant only needs a single ID, regardless of the number of names that it subsequently registers.
During the demonstration phase, the application and review process was conducted on an informal basis and there was no charge for participation. ENS services and registration are provided subsequent to the payment of fees. The ENS fee is a one-time charge for establishing an applicant's account, verifying its eligibility to hold names in .museum, and reviewing the suitability of names included in the initial application. Additional names may be requested at any following time without additional fee for their review. There is an annual fee for each name that is formally registered via an authorized registrar.
The following material is intended to make it easier for those who have previously submitted applications for names in .museum to enter into the new process at the appropriate point.
Tracking Number
All applications submitted at various stages during the initiation of .museum activity have been moved into a single ENS database. Multiple applications received from the same source have been merged, although there may be some residual uncertainty in a few cases. Each applicant, regardless of the number of names requested or the number of separate applications submitted, has been assigned a tracking number. The immediate concern for each previous applicant is determining what this tracking number is.
Please note that the first page in the application sequence provides an option labeled: I have previously submitted an application but do not have a tracking number. Take me to the correct step to obtain a tracking number. If you follow that link, at the bottom of the page you will be able to enter any of the names for which you previously applied. If this is successful, you should have no further concern with this aspect of the process.
Common Problems
Missing applications
The original participants in .museum start-up activity submitted requests for names via e-mail. These requests were migrated to a Web-based platform in November 2001. A few requests did not successfully survive that transition and the applicants were asked to resubmit the information via the Web interface. Some applications in this category still need to be re-entered. Further instructions about this are also on the application form.
Can't find the name?
If you are unable to remember the exact name for which you previously applied, there are instructions on the same Web page that will make it easier for you to search for your name. Please be certain that you have every letter and dot in precisely the right place when using any of the search tools. If you still cannot find your previous identity, it may be easiest to file a completely new application.
Interruption of application process
Some applicants interrupted the application process when, in fact, it had not been completed. If you did not receive an e-mail request for confirmation of the information that you provided via the forms on the MuseDoma Web site and/or did not return the confirmation via e-mail within the indicated period, your application was not recorded. The receipt of each confirmation was also acknowledged via e-mail. Although it is possible that your application was successfully entered without your having received the final confirmation, there is reason to be suspicious if you have not seen the latter notification.
Please note
One of the conditions of the initial demonstration activity was that MuseDoma would not be corresponding individually with applicants. Instead, all communication would take place on the MUSEDOMA-DISCUSS e-mail discussion list. This was to ensure that all participants had equal knowledge of the domain's developing policies and procedures. Some applicants may, nonetheless, have expected individual response beyond the automated confirmation and been puzzled by its absence. Each application that was correctly recorded according to what is said above remains available and its processing can be resumed at any time.
With the initiation of formal registration in .museum, provisional action in .museum has ended. All applicants who have not yet done so must complete all the action described above if they wish to retain the names that have been activated at their request.
11 April 2003 - 1330 UTC