DD: Domain Names
Appendix DD / Domain names
All UKIP websites should be accessed through a domain name. If the way to access your website is like the following: http://www.swdukip.supanet.com/ or http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/UKIP_Yeovil/, or indeeed anything WIX, then please register a domain name and point it to your hosted site. This will also help comply with our email guidelines below.
Domain names should be relevant, easy to spell, and put on badges etc.
Short is very definitely good - easier to remember and type, thus: http://www.ukipleeds.org.uk/ is much better than http://www.northshropshireukipconstituencyassociation.org.uk.
The following is a common list of top level domain names and when to use them (new ones e.g. ".london" are being added all the time):
| Top-Level Domain | Proper use | Actual use | UKIP use | Example domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .info | Informational websites for use by companies or organisations. | Often used for informational websites, sometimes used as personal websites. | Good for election candidates. | Vote-Steve.info |
| .com | American companies | International companies | Do not use. | |
| .org | American organisations | International organisations | Acceptable for general use. Do not use for candidates or specific branches. | ukipcampaign.org |
| .org.uk | British organisations | British organisations | Perfect for branches and other small UKIP websites | UKIP-Yardley.org.uk |
| .co.uk | British companies | British companies, personal websites | Avoid unless absolutely necessary. | |
| .tv | Media | Used mainly on television adverts for companies | Avoid | ukip.tv |
| .scot | Scottish websites | Scottish websites | Scotland | ukip.scot |
If your website has expired, or been discontinued even temporarily, don't leave it hanging around - please point the domain to ukip.org.
Further, if someone takes over the domain name by agreement please close the old site down properly.
At least one example has been found of an old website remaining in an undead state on free hosting indefinitely...Needless to say, all normal contact routes had become out of date.
Lastly, but most importantly, make sure you have control of the domain name. Otherwise, if you fall out with your webmaster (it happens), no end of bad publicity (we'll leave it to your imaginations) can result!
on behalf of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) both at Henleaze Business Centre, 13 Harbury Road , Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4PN