just an asterisk

I was going to call this post, the anatomy of a domain, after a Kids in the Hall sketch that I had (incorrectly) thought was called the “anatomy of a joke”.  In fact, the sketch is called “Sketch Comedy” and the premise is to describe what goes into a good sketch.  If you’re interested, check the out the video and the transcript…

Despite my mistake, I still want to go into the anatomy of a domain.  I want to try convince you that (no matter who you are) you can have your own web domain.  You can have your emails go to me@bobsagget.me or me@JAAismyfavoriteblog.com.  It’s not hard, nor should it be only done by professionals.  If you want a weekend project, and don’t mind reading a little bit, you too can have your own space on the fantastic interweb…  I should point out that this isn’t entirely free.   However, for less than price of 3 lattes, we can get you up and running.

Step 1:  Plant a flag to make your claim

The web is comprised of domains.  Each domain points to a specific location (in fact a server) where the web page(s) are stored.  Google.com is a domain.  Justanasterisk.com is a domain.  When a domain name is created, the name is passed across the world (very quickly), so people in dubai can log into the same site, with the same name, even though their server is not necessarily connected directly to yours…

To get your own domain, go to this site.  Whoooooa you say – What are google apps???

What if I were to tell you that an email address @gmail.com is for sissies?  You can use Gmail (which I love, as I think we’ve established from my previous posts) but you don’t have to work with the masses.  You can access it from the lofty heights of your own internet ivory tower! Moreover, Google calendar and docs are just part of the deal!

Let’s take an example:  I registered the domain justanasterisk.com.  Then I registered for Google Apps.  Now when someone emails ab@justanasterisk.com, THAT is my Gmail address.  Pretty cool eh?  To get started go the link.

When you get there, click on get a domain from Google tab and search for the name you want.  Hopefully, one of the names (or a variation proposed by the system) will be something you think you’d like to live with.  Notice that you’ll be setup with Google services for free! (see the box in red)  From here continue to registration.

On the next screen throw in your information (this domain name is going to be legally registered to you after all).  When you’re ready to pay, Google will send you to their checkout, where you can put in a credit card and register officially.  If everything goes well, you should see a picture like the one below.  Click on the link “Return to Google Apps”.

Now you are a proud domain owner!!!  Congrats.  Let’s get it setup as your home.

Step 2:  Setup Google Apps

The first thing you’ll have to do is setup an administrator account for your Google world.  This is just the username for the main account (you get 50 accounts for free), so don’t worry.  It doesn’t have to be your final choice of email address.

When you’re ready, continue with the setup.  In the following Google is going to walk you through your new site.  I recommend using their guide to get you started, but remember – you’ve done the hardest part.  From here on in, you’re just icing the cake.

Step 3:  Customize the crap out of your internet home

The coolest part of having a custom domain is that you can add sub-domains.  With your new domain, if you get it from Google, you can get all of this done for you.  Straight from the first second,  mail.yourdomain.com should lead to your email and docs.yourdomain.com should lead to your google docs.  Browse through your dashboard to see what else is available.  For some, this may be the end of the line.  However, if you’re feeling particularly nerdy, I suggest reading Gina Trapani’s Lifehacker post called “Trick Out Google Apps for your Domain” which can be found here.

Remember that once you’re setup, you have all the same features you had when you used Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs.  The only difference is that you’re now your own brand!  Well done!

Feel free to ping me with any questions in the comments.

~ab

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 11:20 am and is filed under Web. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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