URL Anatomy

URL Anatomy Tutorial

http://www.TeachersFirst.com/history/ushistory.htm

You can learn a lot from examining a URL. For example, take a look at the URL above: http://www.TeachersFirst.com/history/ushistory.htm

First, examine the domain name suffix. In the example above, the suffix is ".com." This suffix tells you what type of organization is operating the network. These suffixes are restricted to different types of organizations by the InterNIC, the group that administers Internet IP address allocation in the United States.

The most common suffixes are:

.com - a commercial entity. Anyone can use these.
.org - a non-commercial entity. These can include associations, clubs, and other organizations.
.edu - a school, college, or university. Use of these suffixes is restricted.
.gov - government entities. Use of these suffixes is also restricted.
.net - network operators. Use is restricted to organizations operating Internet network services.
.mil - military sites. Nobody gets these except the military!

These suffixes are used almost exclusively within the United States. Most international web sites use suffixes which indicate the country in which the site originates. Some of the more common international suffixes include the following:

.ca - Canada
.fr - France
.uk - Great Britain
.nl - the Netherlands
.jp - Japan
.au - Australia
.ch - China
.nz - New Zealand
.es - Spain

So why is this important??

1. It can be difficult to assess the accuracy of content displayed on the Web. That page on Russian history may be the result of exacting scholarship at a major university, or it may be the ravings of a disgruntled individual whose analysis is far from perfect. Reader beware.

2. When using search engines, you can see the URL of a web site before you choose to go to that site. Knowing beforehand that a web site is not what you are looking for because you can see that by reading the URL can be a real time saver.

For example, look at the following URL:

http://www.govdocs.au/constitution.htm

At first glance you might think you’ve found a copy of the constitution for your American History class. But look closely, the domain name suffix is AU. This web site originates in Australia - an unlikely place to find the American constitution. This is probably the Australian constitution.

Here’s another example:

http://www.syr.edu/~jones/civilwar.htm

The domain name tells us that this file is on the network at Syracuse University. The pathname suggests that the file is located in the personal file space of someone named Jones. (The use of the tilde (~) is, by convention, an indication of personal file space.) But who is Jones? A Ph.D. with an international reputation, or a freshman with a personal web site. It’s probably a good idea to check sites like this one before recommending them to your students.

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