I'm registered with Register.com, who allows for the changing of WHOIS info (all fields), but not blank.

I wish to change my info, simply to maintain privacy. I'm not using the website for anything even borderline illegal, but am concerned that this change may throw off some red flags.

I kept my first name in the field, only the first letter of my last name, removed my address, kept the city and state, and made a bogus zip code, and have a valid e-mail address (that I do currently use, just not the primary),

Are there any potential issues that may arise from this? Either the registrar not liking it or someone coming in to try and take control over the domain?

Register.com still has valid physical, name, phone, e-mail under my billing contact, and that's private, so it's fine with me...I just don't want that info out there for anyone who does a WHOIS on the domain.

I did a little looking around, and this thread (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=52837) was helpful, but my question is a little different.

Also, I did see some registrars were touting that as one of their services - put their info rather than yours. I could see doing that for the technical, etc., but I'd assume it would be a bad idea to change the administrative contact to them.

You're required to have valid info by the registrar due to the requirement by ICANN. If you don't have valid info, whose to say that you own the domain? The billing fields aren't the registrant (owner of the domain). If the domain means anything to you, then I'd get a PO BOX and file a DBA an duse that info as the registrant, etc., to keep things on the straight and narrow. Will anythng happen? Most likely not, but it certainly wouldn't help your case if there was ever a problem.

Thanks for the comments.

FWIW, here's what Register.com has to say (http://www.register.com/contact_us1_faq.cgi?1|3196216194|#4a):

Is it possible to hide or edit my Contact Information when someone does a WHOIS query on my domain name?
The Contact Information displayed in the WHOIS should always be kept current. You can edit this information to display whatever you would like (although you cannot leave the fields blank). Please note that if you enter invalid or false information, you are breaching the terms of the register.com Services Agreement.

WARNING: Be sure that the contact email address listed for your domain name is valid and accessible. Certain changes and/or confirmation of changes to domain name information typically involve a process requiring access to the contact email address on file to complete the confirmation process.

.com, .net, .org, .biz and .info domain names registered through register.com can edit their WHOIS information using Domain Manager, located at: http://mydomain.register.com.

Note: ccTLDs (country code Top Level Domains) - for example, .ro, .dk, .sh, etc. WHOIS information must be updated using the methods or systems provided by the individual country's registry.

For more information on ccTLDs and their registries, return to the top of this page and select the ccTLD for which you require additional information.

You need to ba a valid owner if you intend to keep the name.
You could probably get away with using your intials, but then anyone with your intials could also claim to own it. In other words, putting your name on it is what makes it yours.
For privacy, you can use your business address or a po box, but it must be a vaild one that you have access to.
The same goes for email, it must be a valid one that you will have access to. (don't use a free email account as those have been known to change to paid accounts, and then they cancel any accounts that haven't paid)
The phone number? I guess thats up to you, but if you have a second line to use for the internet or your business, use that one. Or your cell phone. I'll let you in on a secret: In the US, it is against the law to solicite people on a cell phone. The first thing I do when called by solicitors, is tell them that this is a cell phone, and they usually hang up before I can tell them to take me off their list. (Of course I first make sure they are a solicitor and not a business contact)

I've done a little more looking around, and see that a lot of the more well known sites often use a department rather than an individual as the Admin contact:


espn.com - Admin, Security / ESPN, Inc.
Foxnews.com - Department, Intellectual Property /Fox Group Legal
Cnet - Domain Contact, CNET Administrative / CNET: The Computer Network
Continental - hostmaster, Andre / Continental Airlines
Priceline.com - host master



So I guess I could probably get away with leaving the actual name out, but putting the address in....but that really accomplishes nothing, as reverse lookups could easily get around that.

Obviously, putting the correct information is the best policy, but this is just a non-commercial site, and as I've already got the registration and hosting costs put in, I'd rather not have to go with a PO Box, etc.

Hmmmm

Be very careful if you obfuscate your contact inforamation that the admin contact can be easily reached. If someone challenges your registration information with the registrar, they will attempt to contact you. If you cannot prove your information is valid, or they cannot reach you, or you don't change to valid information within 15 days - you'll lose the domain.

-t

Hi thewitt

Thanks for your postings,which are always worth a close read, since one often learns something important.

Can you possibly explain:

(1) under what circumstances can one challenges a domain name's registrant info?
(2) how the "15 day" rule work, and what it is based on?
(3) what is meant by "losing" a domain, and to whom?

Thanks in advance!
host1515

Anyone can challenge a domain registration - the specific advisory wording from ICANN is Registrar shall, upon notification by any person of an inaccuracy in the contact information associated with a Registered Name sponsored by Registrar, take reasonable steps to investigate that claimed inaccuracy.

The specific wording from the Registrar Accreditation Agreement that a registrar agrees to with regards to valid whois data and domain termination follows:

3.7.7.1 The Registered Name Holder shall provide to Registrar accurate and reliable contact details and promptly correct and update them during the term of the Registered Name registration, including: the full name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and fax number if available of the Registered Name Holder; name of authorized person for contact purposes in the case of an Registered Name Holder that is an organization, association, or corporation; and the data elements listed in Subsections 3.3.1.2, 3.3.1.7 and 3.3.1.8.

3.7.7.2 A Registered Name Holder's willful provision of inaccurate or unreliable information, its willful failure promptly to update information provided to Registrar, or its failure to respond for over fifteen calendar days to inquiries by Registrar concerning the accuracy of contact details associated with the Registered Name Holder's registration shall constitute a material breach of the Registered Name Holder-registrar contract and be a basis for cancellation of the Registered Name registration.


Here's the URL for a recent ICANN advisory on the subject http://www.icann.org/announcements/advisory-10may02.htm that sums up the requirements fairly well.

Unlike a UDRP dispute, where the domain would be lost to the complaining party, in this case the domain is simply dropped from the registry, and would be able to be picked up by anyone using any registrar.

If you want to add real intrique to this, add the WLS and a WLS subscription to the mix. If someone had a WLS subscription on a domain that had bad contact data, and then challenged that data with the registrar, within 15 days they could own the domain... Of course you can also do that with a Snapnames subscription today.

-t