Month: March 2022

The .barcelona domain turns six with 5,000 active domains

Posted on by Comunicació

Since opening up its public register in March 2016, the .barcelona domain has generated a volume of active domains comparable to other large cities. With 5,228 domains in all, the number of domains per inhabitant puts .barcelona on a par with other city domains such as .paris, .london and .tokyo.

Besides the overall figures, the .barcelona domain stands out from the rest of geoTLDs for its permeability in Barcelona’s society. The domain reflects the city’s social and commercial make-up and is used across multiple sectors.

Browsing the different types of .barcelona domains gives us a first-hand look at the city’s most typical and iconic sectors. Staring with cultural domains such as those used by the MACBA or Park Güell, and moving onto gastronomic ones such as the one for La Boqueria, in just a few clicks we can get a feel for the city.

We can also find .barcelona domains relating to sports, such as the ones for the firefighters’ run or La Mercè, which represent the city so well. There are domains for shopping too, such as the recently launched BCNMarket, the city’s official online shop.

The Catalan capital has an exceptional showcase on the internet thanks to the .barcelona domain, which brings together the diversity of activities and services offered by the city.

The domain turned six on 21 March, celebrating the opening of the domain register to all projects wishing to sign up to it. Even so, the domain officially started life in July 2015, when it started being used for municipal projects. A year later came the formal contact with the ICANN, the main regulating body for this sector.

Differences between a registration company and a domain re-seller

Posted on by Comunicació

In the online world, a domain is the name we want people to use to find us on the internet, the one we put in the address field. It needs to be unique in the world, and that’s why it needs choosing carefully before anybody else can register it.

If we want to buy a domain, we need to do so through a registration company or a domain re-seller:

·       Registration companies are authorised by the ICANN to issue domain licences. This means they can create and sell domains themselves. Some provide domains to the general public and other sell domains wholesale to re-sellers.

·       Just like registration companies, internet domain re-sellers are companies which sell domains directly to end users. The only difference is that they cannot issue the domains themselves and must buy them beforehand from a registration company. Internet domains are a product and as such can be bought and sold, and re-sellers have permission to do this.

Re-sellers tend to purchase domains in bulk and registration companies apply discounts, giving them a profit margin. In addition, many re-sellers are not simply devoted to selling, but also offer additional services such as better customer service, web hosting and web design. These services mean clients prefer them to large registration companies, where they can only buy the domain name.

Where can I register a .barcelona domain?

All you need to do to register a .barcelona domain is to click here, where you will find registration companies and re-sellers from which you can choose the option which best adapts to your domain.

“boqueria.barcelona is our market’s showcase to the world”

Posted on by Comunicació

The founding stone of the Mercat de Sant Josep was laid on 19 March 1840, yet the history of this market, popularly known as La Boqueria, dates back to the 13th century. There are currently over 200 establishments opening daily at the market, offering local people and visitors a unique range of gastronomy and culture in the city. We spoke to Òscar Ubide i Marcet, the manager at the market, and asked him to explain its importance for the city and its identification with the .barcelona domain.

-The Mercat de la Boqueria is not just any market. How does your location in the city and the type of people who go to the market have an impact?

Its location halfway down La Rambla means lots of tourists go to the market. There’s a mix of customers, with restauranteurs, locals and people from other places too.

-The history of the market dates back centuries. How important is it for the market to maintain this legacy and to show it to the world?

It’s very important in two ways. On the one hand, in maintaining a structure, often archaic, which continues to offer customers fresh produce a thousand years on. On the other hand, in terms of visitors, to show them a space which in many cases is older than their countries. This is very powerful.

-Activities at the market also go beyond food. What values do the market’s cultural activities bring and how relevant are they for La Boqueria?

For us it’s an obligation to go beyond the action of buying and selling. We have always had strong ties with the neighbourhood, the city and the country, and this is why the market must offer culture, nutrition, technology and all the things linked to food that we can show.

-How important is it for the Mercat de la Boqueria to have a website? For instance, when it comes to informing people about the activities held there?

It’s our showcase to the world. Many people use the site to check what stalls there are and where to find them, while others check the agenda to see what activities we offer there.

-How does the market’s website help establish a closer relationship with local people in Ciutat Vella?

Well precisely that, by people identifying stalls and their contact details and checking activities.

-Boqueria and Barcelona are two very closely linked concepts. How important is it for the Mercat de la Boqueria to be identified through the .barcelona domain?

The moment the domain appeared, we thought it was the one which connected with the market better than other existing domains, and that it strengthened our identity and our image. Whenever we give the domain to others it comes as a positive surprise to them.

-The .barcelona domain represents a map of opportunities in gastronomy, culture, commerce and sports for iconic organisations and projects in Barcelona. How does this community map of Barcelona help the Mercat de la Boqueria?

We believe that as a market and an iconic city facility, we are doing our little bit to strengthen the domain and what it represents, the strength and personality of our city.

Barcelona with Ukraine

Posted on by Comunicació

Given the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and the resulting social emergency, Barcelona has made preparations to provide shelter and guarantee the rights of refugees in the city. The website ciutatrefugi.barcelona offers full information for refugees and for people wishing to help out.

This .barcelona website will be regularly updated to respond to the social emergency resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.

The site includes resources for refugees arriving in the city and facilitates information for members of the public wishing to collaborate or offer support for those affected by the conflict.

The “Barcelona, Refuge City” project was set up in September 2015 to prepare the city to provide shelter, assistance and necessary services to guarantee the rights of refugees, as well as to urge states to comply with the most basic rules on human rights.

More information: ciutatrefugi.barcelona