For years, I have registered domain names, managed DNS servers and created web sites. I have always setup public web sites to default to "http://www.domain.com"... but why?
Wikipedia: A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS). The first-level set of domain names are the top-level domains (TLDs), including the generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as the prominent domains com, net and org, and the country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Below these top-level domains in the DNS hierarchy are the second-level and third-level domain names that are typically open for reservation by end-users that wish to connect local area networks to the Internet, run web sites, or create other publicly accessible Internet resources. The registration of these domain names is usually administered by domain name registrars who sell their services to the public.
Everyone knows "www." For me, the third-level "www" has actually caused problems. Often, when trying to tell someone to go to a non-www third-level domain (like: "support.domain.com"), some people will inadvertently go to "www.support.domain.com" and end up somewhere they are not supposed to be. I usually repeat the URL and explain that there is no "www." before the correct third-level domain address.
Instead of forwarding "http://domain.com" to "http://www.domain.com" (like most), set the reverse. Forward all requests to "http://www.domain.com" to "http://domain.com".
When creating with Wordpress (and Press499.com - which powers this site); this happens automatically. You may notice this behavior on other popular sites (like http://twitter.com).
Is this the end of "www"?