How does it all work?

[iron_chick]

I've learned enough that I have even more questions. 
Really basic questions.
That are so basic that don't fit under any of the substantive topics above.

Please be kind.

This is what I think I know:

I am sitting her at my computer.  I connect to the 'net via a DSL line which basically just carries my info via the phone line.

I type in tuliptools.com and little idjits go looking for tuliptools.com.  They find it.  Find the nameservers.  The nameservers tell them to go to find the real live computer on which this email is being recorded to share with all. 

But I'm missing some links.  (Be kind. )

How do the idjits know where to GO when they are off looking for tuliptools.com?    Domains are registered via all sorts of places.  Is there one big grand pooh bah domain tracker in the sky? 

And once the idjits get the nameserver, who tells them just where exactly to GO then?  (My nameserver points to a server in Texas but how do they KNOW that when someone types in my url or sends me an email?)  Is there some sort of grand pooh bah nameserver tracker in the sky? 

(If I'm wrong about any of the things I think I know and am really missing more links than I realize . . . please be kind.   I took ONE computer class in college.  All I remember of it is sitting in a BIG lab and the tech coming out and asking who was running the endless loop.  :oops

[bargainbloodhound]

I type in tuliptools.com and little idjits go looking for tuliptools.com.   They find it.  Find the nameservers.  The nameservers tell them to go to find the real live computer

That's basically how it happens.  This article explains it better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System

The nameservers tell them to go to find the real live computer on which this email is being recorded to share with all. 

You're only sent to the same server your email is on if you type in community.tuliptools.com.  If you type in tuliptools.com the nameservers send you to tuliptools.com which is on a different server (it even runs a different type of Linux than this server  :blinkie: ) and then you're automatically transported by a 301 redirect to the community.tuliptools.com server.

[iron_chick]

Gack.  I meant *post* instead of email.