Either telnet into whois.enom.com:43 or go to any whois service that shows you direct whois queries (port 43) and try checking out enom.com (or any domain name you have registered on enom)

(use allwhois.com if you don't know of any other service and don't know how to use telnet to whois.enom.com)

Before ANY data is sent, it sends a link (pretending to have information provided by you) from "AboutUs.org" ???

So eNom is doing their own commercial advertisements in whois data now? Linking to whatever service they want and pre-empting your information about how to contact you?

There is no way to opt out of this to the best of my knowledge. Basically the first impression about any of your domains on eNom will now be not your proper contact info, but whatever information someone wants to put into the AboutUs wiki (and who knows what else eNom will add up there in the future, adsense ads?)


telnet whois.enom.com 43
enom.com
=-=-=-=
Visit AboutUs.org for more information about enom.com
<a href="http://www.aboutus.org/enom.com">AboutUs: enom.com</a>

Registration Service Provided By: eNom, Inc.
Contact: paul.stahura@enom.com

Domain name: enom.com

Registrant Contact:
eNom, Inc.
DNS Manager (info2@enom.com)
+1.4258838860
Fax: +1.4258833553
PO Box 7449
Bellevue, WA 98008
US

Administrative Contact:
eNom, Inc.
DNS Manager (info2@enom.com)
+1.4258838860
Fax: +1.4258833553
PO Box 7449
Bellevue, WA 98008
US

Technical Contact:
eNom, Inc.
DNS Manager (info2@enom.com)
+1.4258838860
Fax: +1.4258833553
PO Box 7449
Bellevue, WA 98008
US

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
dns1.name-services.com
dns2.name-services.com
dns3.name-services.com
dns4.name-services.com
dns5.name-services.com

Creation date: 24 Oct 1997 00:00:00
Expiration date: 21 Sep 2012 13:45:09
=-=-=-=
The data in this whois database is provided to you for information
purposes only, that is, to assist you in obtaining information about or
related to a domain name registration record. We make this information
available "as is," and do not guarantee its accuracy. By submitting a
whois query, you agree that you will use this data only for lawful
purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this data to: (1)
enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that stress or load
this whois database system providing you this information; or (2) allow,
enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited,
commercial advertising or solicitations via direct mail, electronic
mail, or by telephone. The compilation, repackaging, dissemination or
other use of this data is expressly prohibited without prior written
consent from us.

We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. By submitting
this query, you agree to abide by these terms.
Version 6.3 4/3/2002

This has been there since a few years back if i am not wrong

Really? Wow, I missed that entirely if so.

I look at whois data periodically and I don't recall seeing it before.

What really bothers me is that AboutUs.org is a complete misnomer.
It's not like Wikipedia but rather a for-profit, commercial enterprise and "About Us" implies the content is created by the website owners it is displaying information for, which it is not and completely out of their hands.

It's there about a year ago, that was the reason for me to transfer out of enom a few hundred domains

"About Us" implies the content is created by the website owners it is displaying information for, which it is not and completely out of their hands.Like Wikipedia, one can edit and update their own "AboutUs" page with whatever information they choose. (I've done so for many of my sites.) I also did a random check of some major national retailer sites and it looks like the majority have been updated by the parties themselves; some have text that looks like a bot pulled it from the companies' "about us" pages.

I don't see it as any different than any directory site that surfs the internet and pulls information for their listings.

I don't see it as any different than any directory site that surfs the internet and pulls information for their listings.

Bingo.

While some can make a big fuss out of something like this, eNom is within their rights to do whatever with their WHOIS lookups as they see fit. Checkout Go Daddy and Netsol's respective WHOIS services and see if they're not any different.

I really don't like it, but can not do much about it. The difference between eNom and GoDaddy is with eNom it's on all whois enquiry outputs wherever they are made, but with GoDaddy it's only when you use their whois server.

Maybe I should change my thinking 180 degrees and see AboutUs.org as a resource :)

Bingo.

While some can make a big fuss out of something like this, eNom is within their rights to do whatever with their WHOIS lookups as they see fit. Checkout Go Daddy and Netsol's respective WHOIS services and see if they're not any different.

No actually this is something that should be regulated by ICANN. Whois data is actually LEGAL data about who owns/operates a domain name/website and how to contact them. Since it is critical, manditory information, there should not be ads on it.

It's one thing to have ads on their website, certainly they are entitled to that if they must, but this is information they are legally required to provide via a direct query and should not have any distractions of any kind.

should not have any distractions of any kind.

Two questions there are how many users find it "distracting" and how does it affect the overall user experience. If registrars' data on such doesn't even remotely suggest many people complaining about it, chances are they're not going to change that anytime soon.

As much as a lot of people want ICANN to do this or that, they more or less want some empirical or statistical data to possibly demonstrate claims presented to them.

This is interesting, I opened a ticket with enom asking how I could opt-out of this and (12 hours later) they responded that they have removed it for all my existing domains.

However I don't see any change yet (2-3 hours since their reply) so I'll give it a bit longer before checking with them.

Just an update that the link is gone now from all our domains.
So enom can indeed fix it and I'm satisfied.

That's interesting. I've seen this "aboutus" link there for several years now... I'm going to request to opt out of this, too.

I've done the same :)

AboutUs.org is now gone from all my domains whois records :)

AboutUs.org is now gone from all my domains whois records :)

Are you sure? My last check still show aboutus.org .

Same for me. The eNom tech people have configured our account so the "aboutus.org" stuff is no longer displayed when viewing a whois output.

:)

Note that the change doesn't happen right away after they submit it.

eNom has a batch queue system that schedules tasks so it wait for free server time
- it took a few hours to show up for our domains.
Patience is key.

Are you sure? My last check still show aboutus.org .

did you file a support ticket to "opt out of AboutUs.org". As others have said. It's not done in real-time, but it's done. There are at least 3 of us claiming it gone from our whois.

It's on my network solutions domain as well.
This is somewhat annoying.

Just learned from a friend of mine there at Netsol that they have an opt-out process as well. Ask them.

did you file a support ticket to "opt out of AboutUs.org". As others have said. It's not done in real-time, but it's done. There are at least 3 of us claiming it gone from our whois.

Already submitted a ticket to them. :D

So has your support ticket been answered yet?