IT’S COMING: In the most sweeping change to the domain name system since its creation in the 1980s, up to 1,000 domain name suffixes could be added each year.
SCHEDULE: Bidding will begin this week, though names won’t be available for use until at least next year.
PROS AND CONS: Some companies and entrepreneurs have already expressed interest in applying for a suffix and possibly earning millions of dollars a year from people and groups wanting a website that ends in that name. Critics worry that an expansion will mean more addresses available to scams and other problems.