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This is just a question of curiosity:

Why do certain SE sites (for instance Superuser and Stack Overflow) have top level domains (superuser.com and stackoverflow.com), while other sites that have been around a while and have a decent following don't have one (for instance The Workplace - workplace.stackexchange.com)?

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    This question appears to be off-topic because it is about a site-wide question. Try asking on Meta.SE. Mods should be able to move this though.
    – Canadian Luke
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 19:26

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History lesson: Stack Overflow was the first site to be launched. It was a resounding success and shortly Server Fault, Meta Stack Overflow & Super User were launched later.

Based on success of these sites, Stack Overflow begins to offer Stack Exchange 1.0, as a white-labelled solution. It didn't go too well, and SE1.0 was canned. In the interim, Area 51 is launched, allowing for new sites to be proposed by the community.

The initial Stack Exchange sites start to grow. Stack Exchange gets spun into Stack Exchange 2.0, a network-wide aggregator of all Stack Exchange sites.

Stack Exchange 2.0 sites initially were to get individual domains. Web Applications goes live as Nothing To Install. Marco Arment mentions us. Jeff & co do a volte-face, say Domains are Bad, topic.stackexchange.com goooooood.

Since he was BDFL then, the naming stuck. Despite overwhelming wishes against this from the community

yes, I'm still a little bitter about that.

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