I had been working with computers for over 15 years and had been on the Internet for over 3 years when I got the idea for Integrity Tech City. Step by step it was set up as a legal business and the idea behind the friendly city community began to blossom. My mate of 25 years, a successful business man in his own right but a newbe to the ways of computers and Internet, was watching things very carefully. Searching for a huge domain space that had all the bells and whistles at a price I could afford was a long process. The choice was narrowed down to three, I had them printed out and laid on my desk. My mate came by picked up the bundle to read through them. An hour later he came back into the study and laid the stack down on my desk and said, "All these look fine but which one is in the best neighborhood?"

I dissolved into hysterical laughter. He looked like a lost puppy as I wiped the tears from my eyes and attempted to sit up straight. The image I had in my mind was a square of empty cyberspace hanging somewhere in the star fulled universe with the only way in as my www. address. The thought of a neighborhood in the voids of cyberspace was too much. After I could keep a straight face I explained to him what a domain space was and he laughed too. However, when this question was put to me by a client about 4 months later, I realized that many people on the Internet do not know exactly what the difference is between a domain site and a web site or what either entail. So exactly what is a domain space?

A domain space is basically a given amount of storage space on a T1 or T3 dedicated server computer. To access this storage space you are assigned a frequency address like www.YourDomain.com address. This is about the same thing as buying a raw piece of land in the wilderness. The space is rented with a few things to make it stable, but to put up a building up you need other things. The things you need will be a computer program to build a web site or good knowledge of HTML ( H yper T ext M arkup L anguage) code that will help you build your structure on the raw land. You will need a few graphics, and some general knowledge of FTP ( F requency T ransfer P rotocol) and how to works with files. In addition to that you will need to know how to set up a separate mail server for your web site and you will need to know how to promote your domain site to the world.

The interesting thing about this is that the space next door on the same dedicated server will be assigned a different frequency address and will not be your "neighborhood" at all. So in truth a domain site is the neighborhood. This idea is bore out by number of domain sites that creates cities and malls where you can rent a "storefront"(web site) for less (usually) than you can build and maintain a domain site.

When you are shopping for a domain site perhaps one of THE most important things to look at is how much support is offered. As a rule of thumb your domain server is going to be much more than a landlord coming around for the rent every month, they are also your nearest neighbor and good relations with your domain server will save you hours, days and MONTHS of time and frustration.

Nearly all domain servers are eager to answer your questions while you are shopping for your private little chuck of cyberspace. The real test of how good your server really is will come a few weeks into your set up when you get stuck on a "How do I...?" question and if you are met with the ever popular wall of silence, the no answer phone and the out of paper FAX, then you know you have picked wrong. But how do you avoid this nightmare?

Well I could be flip and say that if you get one of our domain you will never have these problems. But since I know some needs and circumstances are different I will give you my own high standards of how to pick a domain site server.

1. Are they prompt at answering their e-mail and phone?
24 hours on week days is good response time by any standards . The more time it takes after the 24 hour mark, you can be sure to multiply that by two after your money is tied up in the site. Remember that Internet is a communications business and if a domain server is not handling communications quickly then you are heading right straight into trouble. All good domain servers will offer a phone number and answer it promptly during office hours. Spend a few dollars and call your domain server and see how they handle questions, it may be one of the wisest things you do.

2. Are they offering a fair amount of services for a good price?
Some domain servers will offer many things and then charge extra for these things in the "fine print" so read your contracts and or service agreement carefully. Some will charge triple for half the services so read carefully.

3. Are they offering the space and type of domain site you need?
It is critical that you have a business plan of what you intend to do with your domain site before you buy. Each dedicated server will have their own rules and regulations on what they will and will not allow stored on their server. Some domain servers are geared to adult sites and others to commercial or private sites. Often these areas are NOT interchangeable and swapping from one to another will get your site dissolved.

4. How fast can they get your domain site up and ready?
This is a question that you need to ask. I have heard many horror stories of domain servers that have taken as long as a months to set up your domain site. (Our's have gone up in as little as 24 hours!) This can prove to be a maddening situation if you are gearing up to introduce a product or service by a deadline and your domain server keeps dragging about while you pay the monthly fees. Time is money and both are important if they are yours!

5. Can your domain server also register your domain name?
Many domain servers offer this service at an extra price and others include it for free when you buy your domain with them. It will save you weeks of time in transferring your site frequency from one server to another if you get both at the same place. The FCC cannot be rushed and it will save you time to do both at the same time.

6. Do they have a good track record of staying online?
If your dedicated domain server is down more than it is up it is going to kill your domain site. Remember that a downed server makes you domain "vanish" and a site that is not there will sell no products or services.

Having a good dependable domain server is very much like buying in a good neighborhood. While you can't exactly lean over the fence and ask barrow a cup of sugar or the hedge trimmers, it is great to know that help is just a note or call away. A friendly voice on the other side will make you job of running a domain site easier so you can concentrate on building your business and not fighting city hall.