Many people who are new to the digital game (the digitally uninitiated) are too scared to ask questions because they are embarrassed by their lack of knowledge. This is of course completely crazy. Digital has only really become a massive thing in the last decade ostensibly off the back of the growth in mobile.
Most developed countries now boast a 100 percent mobile penetration rate which obviously equates to everyone in eth country having access to the internet. Additionally, desktop and laptop access are also growing rapidly across the world. But having access to the internet and knowing how it works and what is going on behind the scenes are two very different things. So, for those who want to ask but are too afraid to put their hands up, here are a few insights.
What is a domain
Because it is filled with websites and pages and applications and servers, the internet needs to be organized properly so that things can be found. It is the same as a library where books, records, periodicals, and microfiche are all stored side-by-side in an orderly and meaningful way. The internet is organized with domains as the highest level of sorting.
You will base your choice of a domain on where you are based and on who you intend talking to. If you want a global audience then you will probably aim for a dot.com address. If you are an Australian company, you could settle for the Australia domain. An education institutional institution would opt for a dot.edu or a non-profit could plump for a dot.org.
Mobile versus web
There was a time when these were two different things. In the era of feature phones or early smartphones, a company might want a mobile site and a website. Now they are one and the same the backend coded in such a way that it renders appropriately for whatever device it is being viewed on. Remember it could be a small mobile screen, a tablet or a giant monitor. Things have progressed to a point where content is updated once but presented slightly differently depending on the front-end requirements.
Hacking
There are plenty of people out there who are looking to wreak havoc or cause harm. Typically, they are interested in disrupting at a governmental or institutional level, so they will not look to get malicious with individuals. This is not always the case and hijacking of machines can be a thing. More likely though they want to plant software on your machine which will use your processing power and internet to probe other machines for flaws and weak spots, essentially roping you in to do their dirty work.
What platform to use
If you are looking to build a website find something that works for you. To this end, know what you want to do and think carefully about your objectives first. Once you have decided on this you can then go and find the platform that best caters to your needs. Look for something that is widely used, easily supported and simple to understand. Don’t go for something bespoke or which will tie you to one individual or company in perpetuity.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
