New Hebrew Domains With Israeli Extensions

Registration has officially opened for the new Hebrew domain names on Israeli extensions co.il and org.il. This is different from the Hebrew domain registration on universal TLDs .com and .net that has been available until now. An example of the latter type of Hebrew domain would be דומייןבעברית.com whereas the new type would read דומייןבערית.co.il (the difference is bolded- one ends in .com and the the other ends in co.il).

Now try this- enter a Hebrew domain in your browser. If you don't have Hebrew enabled on your keyboard, copy and paste the following אניאובהחברתהאחסוןשלי.co.il ("I love my hosting company" in Hebrew :). If your browser is IDN-aware, meaning it knows what to do with internationlized domain names, then you should have gotten the following result: xn--4dbaadarbefqdpk5b6be1a6jzan.co.il. Did you ever think your browser was so smart? Neat, huh?! This mixture of alphanumeric latin characters beginning with xn-- is how a browser translates a Hebrew domain into readable characters that the system that manages domain names across the internet can recognize. This Domain Name System (commonly referred to as DNS), among other tasks, identifies the numeric address associated with each domain name on the global map of addresses. That's right, each domain that you can pronouced has a number associated with it and that number corresponds to a geographic location. To simplify it one step further, take away the domain name and you are left with a network address. That's how some websites know where in the world you are logging in from and, in some cases, if you are out of their service area (say you are trying to listen to Pandora or access your U.S. PayPal account from outside of the U.S.) will restrict access to certain content that is subject to copyright regulations.

Domains All In Hebrew Clarified:

"What about a domain completely in Hebrew?", you might ask. Well, in addition to the half -Hebrew half-English options there is an option to have just that- a Hebrew name with a Hebrew extension. While there is as of yet no official TLD for Israel in Hebrew,  it is possible to register domains in Hebrew with the following extensions: ארג, .נט, .קום. These are Hebrew transliterations of .com, .net, and .org. Rumor has it that once the Israeli Internet Association known as ISOC standardizes an extension in Hebrew, it will be given free to all current owners of the parallel Hebrew domain ending in co.il / org.il, etc.

Benefits of owning a Hebrew domain:

• Helps to increase search engine ranking
• Worthwhile investment for the future- rumor has it that all Hebrew domain owners will automatically receive the related Hebrew TLD when it becomes available.
• Another entry way for people to access your business online
• Easier to spell for native Hebrew-speakers. For instance, it would be easier for an Israeli to write אתרשמח.co.il than atarsameach.co.il- "happy site" in English :)

To register a Hebrew domain name ending in .com, .net, .co.il, or .org.il, simply:

1. Type the name you would like to register in Hebrew into a modern browser and press enter
2. Copy and paste the resulting internationalized spelling into the JerusaHost domain registration box
3. Follow the directions on your screen to checkout and your domain will be active within 24 hours

To register a Hebrew domain name ending in ארג, .נט, .קום:

 please email your domain request to info (AT) jerusahost.com or fill out the contact form here

For questions about registering domain names in Hebrew:

please contact us.

A chocolate fudge ice cream sundae will be awarded to the person who submits the best answer to the following web hosting question: 

How can an Israeli server location, dedicated ip address, and/or Israeli domain name extension benefit a business in Israel?

Eligibility:
All are welcome to participate.

Deadline:
Content ends Friday, October 22nd at at Midnight IST.

Rules:
Answers must be at least 3 full sentences, must be submitted as comment to this blog entry or on a separate blog. 

Winner will be chosen by JerusaHost staff based on quality and accuracy of answer and announced in subsequent blog entry. Winner will be notified be email or phone and given gift certificate for one large chocolate fudge ice cream sundae or other favorite desert of equal or lesser value at ice cream parlor of choice.

Good luck! :)