# Your Domain

In this task you're going to choose, check the availability of and (hopefully) register a domain name that you'll use for your portfolio. 

The technicalities of this task will take about an hour, but you may end up spending more than this. You're going be spending money on your domain name, so spend as much time as you need selecting the right one. Don't rush into it because you can't get refunds on domain names and wasting money isn't cool.

## Task One - Choosing Who To Register Your Domain Name With

Your first task is to spend up to ten minutes searching the web for someone that you can register a domain name with. Domain names are not bought, they are registered and you pay to register domain names for a set period of time - normally from one or two years. 

The rules and regulations surrounding registration of domain names can change from country to country and are also dependant on the country to which the domain name belongs. The registrar you use doesn't have to be in your country, but it should be someone that you're comfortable giving your money to.

Be sure to ask your peers for advice because they will likely have valuable information that you can use in your search for a domain registrar. You may even choose to use the same one. When you've found a registrar you're happy to do business with, this task is complete.

## Task Two - Choosing A Domain Name

Choosing a domain name can be easy or it can be very difficult. It all depends on what you're trying to do and there are no wrong or right answers. In this task you're going to pick a domain name that feels right for your portfolio. You can have any domain name that is not already registered.

Many people choose to register their own name as the domain name for their portfolio. This approach may not be the most exciting method, but it is very versatile and to the point.

You may choose to register a word with specific meaning behind it. Jeremy Keith uses adactio.com for his domain and this may be for its latin meaning or it may simply be because he likes it. 

Domain hacking is another popular method for choosing a domain name. In this sense the term hacking refers to the art of combining all the parts of the domain to form an overall word. 
Bit.ly, del.icio.us and foundat.io/n are examples of domain hacking. Typically it costs a little bit more than a .com to register a domain suitable for hacking (there are often more legalities to it as well) so you might want to bear this in mind when selecting a name.

Spend the next 20 minutes or so thinking of a domain name and checking its availability. If you find one that you think is perfect for your needs then go ahead and register it. If you can't think of one in this time then don't register one just to finish the task. You can finish this task in your own time. The important part is that you register a domain name that you're happy with.

When you've registered your domain name, post it onto the community wall telling people what your domain name is.


## Task Three - DNS 

DNS is an acronym that stands for "Domain Name System". Now that you've got a domain name, you're going to have to have a basic understanding of how DNS works because soon you'll have to modify your domains DNS records. But what does that mean?

In this task you're going to do a little bit of research about what DNS is and how it works. You're then going to produce an artifact of some sort describing what DNS is and how it works. You can explain your ideas in words, a diagram, a video, a song or even through the power of interpretative dance if you want to.  The important thing is that you understand it enough to be able to produce an artifact that explains it to others.

Below you'll find two resources to start off your search. But remember to make use of the search engines to find your own resources, noting the material that you find that helps you understand DNS. Look on your peers blogs for the resources they used in their research. 

* [DNS Explained with English spoken voice over][1]
* [Wikipedia - Domain Name System][2]

Spend half an hour researching and putting together your work. If you want to spend more time than this then feel free to. Your blog post should contain the artifact that you've created, the resources you've used and a short description of how and why you created what you did.

When your post is published and you've posted a link to it on the challenge discussion page, spend the rest of the hour checking out the work of your peers



[0]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Resource_Locator
[1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdOmiewp2kw
[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System

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# Badges

# Possible Badges:

## Webmaking 101 

Your DNS Domain Badge: 
Description: has completed challenge 5
Assessment type: self assessment


## Skill


Description: The DNS Badge recognizes the ability to describe what DNS is and how it works.
Assessment type: formula
Rubric:


## Peer


Description: The Super Blogger Badge recognizes the ability to write infomative, engaging and well presented blog posts while explain clearly and concisely concepts to various audiences.
Assessment type: peer assessment 
Assessment formula: acculumative
Rubric:


Description: Learners create multiple representations such as text, diagrams, media, sketches, physical forms to record and express ideas in creative ways.
Assessment type: accumulation
Rubric:


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# Smartools (tabled)
Domain Name (Flag)

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