Do you guys think it's bad to have your home address listed in the whois look up? personally all my domains do not list my real name or address simply because i work at home if i had a business address it would be different. I do adult web sites and when i go and buy content the publishers wants my home address in the whois lookup so they can easily match up sites in use to licensees. They told me i could get a PO box and use that for licensing and registration. What is a PO box and how does that work and how do i get one?

Maybe im just being cautious for nothing but i don't need any hate mail :)

That's fine, I think. Although I prefer not to. Some websites or companies (i.e interland) use our informations to send unsolicited mails and emails. I use weblaunching.net, which let me change all the information to None, 000... etc except my email to contact. I think that's the best way. Additionally, if you have enemies online, they can't find your address :D.

For PO box question, is a post office mail box, the one that you can use as your personal mail box, but you have to go to the post office or place that designs for PO box. It's like forwading email, you don't have to change you real address everytime you move. Depends on size, it costs about $10/month. Go to your local post office and ask.

Well just my views but long as you're an adult (18+) and you're website isn't one that would offend or make people what to track you down or start harrasing you (like a hate site or one with kiddie porn) then you're fine... otherwise get a PO box and pray people are too lazy to look it up! :)

I don't think there is much to worry about.

While there isn't that much to worry about, I'd still rather not have it posted on the web. I think it should be optional, like a phone book. Why exactly is our info shown in the whois? They could always hide our info and if someone needed to reach a domain's contact then they'd use a form or specify an e-mail address. And interland does seem to vacuum up info... I got ANOTHER thing from them a few weeks ago. E-mailed them about it, telling them to remove me from their database before I made a fuss about them grabbing my info from a whois. Now I know they could have gotten it from an outside source, but they had my domain at the top of the letter thing. Bleh... this is going to turn into "one of those" threads if I keep going. I really don't think our opinions matter to much with ICANN though... they arn't able to get their acts together.

I wish they did have it optional like a phone book that's a good idea. I never have received any spam from the email address i have listed in the whois. Have any of you guys ever received mail from the info listed in the whois by snail mail just curious :)

Im always getting email from people asking if i will email them new pics and if i have one of the girls phone number lol

Rock - How would you know if the spam or snail-mail junk mail came from your whois listing?

Originally posted by Jaiem
Rock - How would you know if the spam or snail-mail junk mail came from your whois listing?

Because in my case it includes a business name which is specific to the NetSol database. I get a TON of junk mail to my PO Box from folks who got my information from the NetSol database. Including mail to my PO Box, but addressed to past technical contacts at hosts I haven't been with for years, and who never used that address. So I don't just get ONE piece of junk mail from the slimeballs, but multiple copies. AIT also used the database to get my phone number and pester me with phone calls to sign up with them. I don't do adult hosting, BTW, but I would still NEVER use my home address, just a PO Box.

Like Deb, I've received spam from Whois listings and know it to be from there because of the name used, which differed from the name I used in Usenet postings a few years ago, another big harvesting source for spammers. In fact, last month I received a spam from a 4 year old whois harvesting run.

ICANN regulations are why the information is asked for and displayed.

I don't use a valid e-mail address as that is a sure source of spam and it serves no purpose other than possibly notice of renewals. I just make sure I keep my domains current and renew before they expire, so the e-mail address has no value or purpose.

I highly recommend doing the following :

1. Set up a 'spam box' on your domain (e.g. domainwhois@yourdomain.com) and send all InterNIC/registrar-related mails to that box. And check it every month or so.

2. I use my work address on my domains, and will be switching to a PO Box address when I get around to it.

Unfortunately once you're on a list it gets around.

Try this: Call a company (catalog, mutual fund, whatever) and ask to receive thier material. Use a fake name. Then sit back and watch all the other junk mail come under the same fake name. You can literally "map" the progress of your info as it travels from one marketing DB to another!

Something to do over the winter. ;)

Rock,

I agree with your decision to use false information since you are involved with adult sites. All it takes is one crusader to single you out (perhaps along with others) to make your life miserable. I would get a post office box (or use a private box) and not disclose my real name, phone numbers, and certainly not a valid e-mail address. As it is, I've gotten one or two pieces of e-mail from idiots who objected to my participation in the rec.nude newsgroup (about the naturist lifestyle) or that i have some information about nude scuba diving on my web site about diving.

Not being involved with adult sites, all the information in my domain registrations is valid except my e-mail address, and I have had no problems because of it.

I would recommend to anyone to use a free e-mail service address or just not use a real one. Otherwise, you're sure to get spam at some point.

about

That's why I like .co.uk domains because they don't show any info about you personally when you do a whois on them.

Duster all my info is false except the e-mail address which is only a hotmail account that i never use. I refuse to put my real home address in the whois like you said duster all it takes is one crusader to single you out and i think that's more likely to happen if you run a adult site.

Is having a PO Box the only way you can keep your real info hidden then? Im still not sure how one works does it get the address of your local post office or what and when i go to buy content the address in the whois has to be the same as my billing address for my CC so i don't see how one would work, i can't use use the PO boxs address for my CC billing address can i? Can someone please explain more how this would work........im only 18 so please forgive my ignorance on this subject.

Local post office, yep. I have one and I think it costs somewhere arounf $12/6 months. Maybe a bit more, I can't quite remember. Your CC card mailing address can be the POBOX (cal cc company to change where to the bill gets sent to).

I don't think you can get a USPS box (in most areas at least) under a fake name. At least not easily. The couple of times I've looked into a POB they wanted 2 forms of ID. they said it was to prevent postal fraud. I can understand that. maybe a private company like Mailboxes Etc. or one of those "instant office" companies would be less rigid.

BTW, if you put down false contact infor for Internic, how will they contact you to renew your domain??

You're right in that you can't use a false name to get a U.S. postal box. However, all that is necessary is that any mail addressed to the business name be received at that box.

Perhaps a better choice is one of the private box services as it won't even indicate that it is a mail center unless someone does some research.

As far as domain registrations, it depends where one is registered. Network Solutions still mails out invoices. Many other registrars use e-mail reminders only.

It does require awareness and keeping one's registrations current. For some, it would be best to use a free e-mail service, not have the address listed anywhere (except in whois) and not use the address for any other purpose. That will allow renewal notices to be received and keep the spam down a bit.

I don't have so many domains personally that I can't keep track of them. Most expire in either May or October, and that makes it easier to manage them, along with the ability to renew for up to 10 years.

I still don't know how one will work if i get a PO box the address of the box would be my full name and the local post offices address instead of my home right? Someone can still look you up easily on the net unless I had a company name. plus id have to change my billing address of my CC all this is just to much trouble. I think I will just take my chance's...............do you guys ever get snail mail from the info you have posted in the whois? To me the whois looks like a spamers heaven lol what is the purpose of it anyway any business web site has there address on it already.

Ooooooh, I've gotten just a *few* snail mails from interland (enough to fill a garbage bag), and valueweb and just about every cc processing service out there. I keep forgetting to add a DEPT. line (second line of the address) for tracking purposes.

Something like DEPARTMENT: NS0800 (For Network Solutions August 2000). Might be interesting though I already know where they got the info from.

I did get a call from the local BBB (Better Business Bureau), saying that they'd gotten genreal inquires about my company. They wanted some info, and me to sign up for a memnbership. The company has never been advertised, doesn't even have a web site, etc. If you register your biz with the state expect a bunch of snail mail garbage as well.

I had a stalker track my address down from the info listed on a whois. The idiot actually came to my house and refused to leave until I let him in (that would have been real smart). The police had to be called and they took him away.

Since then, I learned not to put personal info anywhere. Thankfully, NSI is not the controlling registrar anymore and it is much easier to change the info.

them two reasons there are the exact reason i don't want to put my real info in the whois, i don't want all that crap mail i get enough "pre approved CC" things now i get sick of it.

no one ever said what the pourpose of the whois is? :)

The purpose of whois is obvious, to show who owns a domain and how to contact them. There are many legitimate reasons for doing so.

As I mentioned earlier, ICANN regulations require that all the information be displayed.

Your other option is to move to Australia. I don't think too many US companies would bother sending you any junk mail. At least they haven't sent me any...

Chicken - It's my understanding that in all states if you run a business under a different name than your own you must have a business certificate (a DBA or "Doing Business As" certificate). Thist is to prevent people from hiding behind fake ID's. And these business cert records are public domain. I'm sure someone somewhere has a service that will query the records for sales leads.

Point is - if you're a business you can expect junk mail no matter what.

I'd be more concerned as the person above said about someone tracking you down for some reason.

Yep, and I used to work for a company that dealt with list brokers. The company I worked for was an out-bound fax broadcast co. (capable of sending out over 13,000 faxes at one to your list, incase you had 13,000+ names on a list). Did we ever get complaints? Heh... just a few. Some really nice return faxes, hee hee.

I helped companies with their more legit. needs (reaching all their distributors more effectively).

You're close, Jaiem. It's actually a fictitious name filing. I can't vouch for the procedure in all states, but in Florida, it's an application for license filed with the division of corporations after publishing in a local newspaper (in the fictitious names section).

Need advice, Network Solutions tech dept. can take no
action on weekend ! Unauthorized person changed the
registration to my domain, http://yellow-pages.net on
Friday, 12-01-00. I have posted the new, fraudulant
domain registration on my site, since I still have access
to ftp. Below the new "registrant", I displayed my
legitimate domain registration info. Just before my
domain record with Network Solutions was "stolen", I
switched my hosting account to ultraspeedusa.com. Daniel
was very helpful during the transfer of my DNS.
Now, it looks like cyberpirates are forcing a change in
my site's hosting this weekend. I have notified the Mesa,AZ
police, the Associated Press in NYC, and the weekend tech
guy at Network Solutions. I made a complaint about an
attempt earlier this month by the "new" admin contact on
the bogus registration record to change my DNS and
contacts, since NSI sent me an email warning me that an
attempt to make these changes had reached them. I also
emailed a complaint to complaints@internic.net. Just 4 days
later, NSI allowed these pirates to transfer my entire
domain record to themselves without sending me an email
or calling me on the phone !! Any ideas ?

You really should have started a nerw discussion as your problem is not at all related to the topic of this one.

One possibility for your troubles is a major defect in the process of transferring registrars. It is an opt out, rather than opt in, process. Registrant information cannot be changed by any third parties under ordinary and legal circumstances.

However, when a transfer is made to another registrar, new information can be entered. An e-mail notice is sent to the admin contact on record from the old registrar. If no action is taken, the transfer goes through.

This is wrong. It should require positive action for the transfer to be effected. Unless a reply is received from the admin contact for the domain, no transfer should be made.

I don't know if this is what happened to you, but it is a possibility.

Nail the fargin bastages, legally and otherwise, and put their bells in a sling, the ice holes.



---------
Watch the movie Johnny Dangerously if you don't get it

In a domain dispute (if someone claims rights on your domain), I think your position is better if whois contains a correct address record. Wrong contact information might be taken as evidence for bad faith, somehow (maybe).

On the other hand, there are obvious drawbacks in revealing your identity especially in adult business.

Therefore you might want to:

Register with correct contact information (and especially with your real name) domains which you do not intend to use immediately, but just want to own in order to resell the domain. As long as you have no website on the domain, there's little to no risk with this, even if it's an adult domain.

When you start your website a more anonymous name would be preferrable, you still have time to think of a solution and change the whois address record. Alwayse give operational address data, which allow to get in touch with the domain owner through snail mail AND email. You'll have to live with some freaks contacting you, but if some serious dispute should arise, your position in court is far better.

A solution seen quite often, is that adult domains are held by some internet company. When you contact them, they might say they have registerd the domain for one of their clients and offer to transfer any message to him, without revealing his identity. Maybe you could set up a structure like this too?

I'm currently looking at setting up and adult oriented site.

Although my host is overseas, this is not the most legitamate business in my country. I'm also thinking registering my domain name under a PRIVATE REGISTRATIONS.

Though after looking through a few threads it would seem that there might be a risk involve in losing my site to others.

:confused:

It was fine until someone called me and started playing on my phone.

Well I must be the odd one out. I think it should be compulsory to give your full details, and for those details to be on public record. I am not sure what happens in other countries but when you register a business name here (Australia) or company name the full details are available.

To register a .au you have to be a registered business/company so even if you didn't have your details recorded and on show with whois these can be obtained through business registration.

I personally don't like doing business with website if I can't readily obtain all info about them .. address phone number etc. Why should I. I mean if I'm doing business with K-Mart or Kentucky or McDonald's that info is available ...where's the difference.

Doc

Since registering a domain name a year ago, the response from
inserting my actual name and address has been less than numerous.

I was a bit concerned, fearing I might be overwhelmed with business opportunities, marriage proposals from female fans,or
movie offers from Hollywood. Well, nothing's happened.

And when's this phone going to ring?
:D

I was a bit concerned, fearing I might be overwhelmed with business opportunities, marriage proposals from female fans,or
Well yes Gordo I can relate to that. It's a hard life, people don't realise what we have to endure.

Doc :D