A Methodology for Extracting Quasi-Random Samples from World Wide Web Domains

INTRODUCTION The Web is characterized by relentless growth. VeriSign estimates over 1 million domain names are acquired in the dot-com domain each month. But how much of the growth of the Web may be attributed to business? What types and proportions of businesses populate the Web? Is the Web more amenable to large business or to small business? Does the Web consist mostly of entrepreneurial start-ups or companies who have adapted their pre-existing business models to this new environment? How 'entrepreneurial' is the Web? Throughout (or because of) the frenzy of the dot com craze and the uproar over the bursting of the dot com bubble in 2001 many of these fundamental questions about business on the Web have remained unanswered.