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Comment by markovbot | Hacker News Reader

OT: Why does CERN need a TLD? I'm not complaining, it just seems like an odd (and expensive) thing to have.

I assume it has something to do with the World Wide Web having basically started at CERN.

Are we sure they have to pay for it? Edit: It appears that they do, though it was at least in the past based on a reallocation of savings on operational expenses. It seems like they might be filing it under "outreach" which makes sense. I'll authorize it. ;-)

Source: https://cds.cern.ch/record/1407874/files/fc-e-5578-Budget201...

Ctrl+F "level domain"

Edit 2: Additional cool source:

https://cds.cern.ch/record/2296678/files/pdf.pdf

"3. Motivation for gTLD .cern

The motivation for CERN to acquire its own generic top level domain was to be able to better support its Web communication strategy. In addition to the traditional CERN domain .cern.ch, that is used for all IT infrastructure and also for internal Web sites, other benefits of owning its own TLD are in the area of conveying:

- Branding

- Recognition

- Innovation

- Trust"

https://home.cern/about/updates/2015/10/welcome-cern

"As such, a domain that limits CERN to one country doesn’t acknowledge the international, and increasingly global, nature of the organization, nor that its science and values transcend geographical and political boundaries."

CERN has all sorts of stuff going on, I don't know the details but its not just like a normal lab in a single country, there's special tax rules and diplomatic treatment for people who work there etc.

The United Nations seem to be ok with having just a .org

The UN isn't a science and technology organization, though.

The UN also has funding issues and the cost of changing domains (even to an .int, which is probably more appropriate than an .org, much less acquiring a TLD as well) is probably not going to fly.

CERN has friendlier funders.

You overestimate the willingness of the member countries to keep throwing money at it.

I don't think I do: more willing than is the case with the UN is a very low bar.

The UN budget seems to be growing over time will the CERN budget is relatively stable (and not safe from cuts: https://www.nature.com/news/2010/100824/full/4661028a.html).

Given that the literally first web server was at CERN, I hope they get a special price for their TLD.

The most amazing thing I've ever seen is probably the original manuscript proposed hypertext with the hand scribbled comment at the top "Vague but interesting!"

Domain names, even .com, predate the web by many years. We could be using gopher in our smartphones instead if things had happened differently :-)

Oh, I remember gopher, and I wasn't implying that CERN invented the domain name system. Just that they deserve their own TLD.

Perhaps you can consider it as a marketing expense. Think about all of the communications that CERN deals with external parties. It could be that they justified it as a recruiting tool - “You get your very own name.cern webpage” to attract candidates.

Or, they just thought it’s cool :-). Companies spend all kinds of money on things without ROI: fancy decors and furniture, landscaping and fancy buildings.

https://www.iana.org/reports/c.2.9.2.d/20140815-cern

It's just part of a wider range of branded TLDs, some of which include .walmart and .mcdonalds

They sort of invented the www.

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