The second-level domain (SLD) name .me.uk will be available from Monday following a 75 per cent majority vote by Nominet UK members.

Members of the national register for domain names ending in .uk voted today (11 January) to allow the first SLDs to be released since 1996. The addresses, which are targeted at personal users, will be registered on a first come, first served basis.

If you want to register JohnSmith.me.uk, for instance, you will have to be quick because Nominet UK member Zen Internet is already taking orders for the new SLDs.

"We have seen massive interest and have already received over 100 orders. This is a good development because for the first time people can have their own personalised names without appearing like a company," said a spokesman at Zen.

For Nominet members the fee will be £50 +VAT, which has been set high to discourage speculative registrations.

"This is sensible because it will stop the speculation we have seen in the past concerning domains where people have bought them to sell them on," the spokesman explained.