Domain name registration wasn’t always free, but it also wasn’t exactly the same system we have today. Here’s a breakdown:
Early Days (1980s): In the very early days of the internet (around the 1980s), domain names were managed by a small group and registration was a manual process. There wasn’t a set fee, but it wasn’t necessarily “free” either. It might have involved contacting a network administrator or organization responsible for domain management.
Formalization and Fees (1990s): As the internet grew, domain name registration became more formalized. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was established in the 1990s to oversee the domain name system. This led to the creation of registrars – companies authorized to register domain names for the public. At this point, domain names typically involved a registration fee paid to the registrars.
Free Options Today: There are a few ways to get a domain name for “free” today, but it’s important to understand the limitations:
Overall, while there aren’t truly free domain name registrations in the traditional sense, there are some workarounds with limitations like bundled hosting plans or less popular TLDs.
#funfacts
