What's exactly a 3rd level domain?
 

Is it a subdomain? Or maybe the following structure: http://www.domainname.com/directory ?
or
http://www.domainname.com/directory/directory ?

Could anyone enlighten me, please?

this is subdomain
http://something.domainname.com/

thirdlevel.secondlevel.com

fourthlevel.thirdlevel.secondlevel.com

news.yahoo.com, example.

http://www.domainname.com/directory is a "folder"

Alex

Oh yeah:

http://content.websitegear.com/artic..._subdomain.htm

Seriously, when in doubt, go to google and type "third level domain". Work with it. :)

Alex

Yes, it would be a subdomain.

If you're asking in reference to submission rules what they're likely referring to are domains of the type: yourname.hostname.com

Most of the time hostname.com is either a freehost or sponsor, and therefore the submitter using the subdomain does not have control over the domain. That's why many link lists and TGP's do not allow them.

I searched the google a little bit with a "3rd level domain" phrase and found this site: http://www.onlinehelper.org/3rdlevel.htm saying:

"Top level or a standard personal domain name could be yourname.com while a 3rd level domain would show yourname.hostname.com or hostname.com/yourname (...)"

I don't know - maybe I misunderstood the text... |confused|

Anyway it made me confused so I just wanted to ask to make sure...
Thanks for the info :)

hostname.com/what ever is fine...

whatever.hostname.com is trouble...

Yes, I know this. I just didn't know that "3rd level domain" is just a synonym of subdomain.

Well excuse me

Come on Surfn- I didn't want to be impolite. Thanks for your post. I know that you shouldn't use subdomains when you submit free sites. I just wanted to know if 3rd level domain refers ONLY to subdomain. Now I know it does and I feel fantastic ;)

The .com is the TLD or top level domain
The second level domain is what you register and is subject to the rules of ICANN. It is resolved through the registry DNS entries.
The third level is a sub-domain that is set up on your host and is often an "addon" domain on the primary one, but with a pointer from the host's name server records.

There are some exceptions of course. :)