Vint Cerf explains...Who runs the Internet's address book?

The Internet has a big address book that helps everyone find each other online, and Vint Cerf is one of the people who helped build it.

Imagine you're playing a game where every friend has a special number, like a phone number. When you want to call someone, you use their number. The Internet works kind of like that game, but with computers instead of friends. Each computer has its own special number, we call these IP addresses.

Now imagine your toy box is the Internet’s address book, and it keeps track of all those special numbers so computers know where to send messages or files. But who makes sure the toy box stays full and up-to-date?

That's where the Domain Name System (DNS) comes in, think of DNS like a clever librarian who helps you find your favorite toys by name instead of number. And Vint Cerf, one of the “inventors” of the Internet, has helped make sure this system runs smoothly for everyone.

So while no single person runs the whole address book, people like Vint Cerf help keep it working so we can all play, and connect, online!