For those who have been following the debate, this gives the basics. 

When you want to visit a website, you type or paste the site’s domain name into 

your browser, or click on an html link.

That domain name is sent to a server which translates the name into a series of numbers 

– the Internet Protocol or IP Address - which the server uses to direct your request to 

the website’s physical location. This all happens in the blink of an eye.

Those names and numbers are called “unique identifiers” and are aligned with a 

standard set of protocol parameters that ensure computers can talk to and understand 

each other. 

These are part of the IANA functions, which are managed by ICANN, the Internet 

Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

These functions aren’t just limited to browsing the Internet - they also enable you to send 

http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/iana/functions-basics-07apr14-en.pdf