[gnso-dow123] Information on WDPRS (Whois Data Problem Reports System)

["Maria Farrell" <maria.farrell@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,
 
Here is the information I promised you on Tuesday's call regarding the WHOIS
Data Problem Reports System.
 
First, a quick summary of information from the WDPRS report 'Community
experiences with the InterNic Whois Data Problem Reports System of 31 March
2005 (available at http://www.icann.org/whois/WDPRS-report-final.pdf):

*       In the approx. 12 months covered by the report, 16,941 unique domain
names were the subject of data problem reports. (The figure for the report
to 31 March 2004 was 16,045.) 31,533 reports were received in total, with
about half of them being duplicate reports (i.e. one or more people
reporting problems with the same domain name). 

*       Following the complaints, 64% the domain names were corrected,
suspended or no longer registered.  26% had data that looked plausible, and
10% had clearly bad data.  

*       The report noted that the 16,941 names are a small fraction of the
49 million gTLD registrations and that broader sampling would be needed to
make claims about the accuracy of the entire database. 

*       Registrars really differed in terms of responsiveness.  The lowest
level of unchanged follow-up reports was 8%, the highest 37%, and the
average was 28%.  (However, for reasons outlined in the report, analysing
'unchanged follow-up reports' isn't a perfect way to measure whether
registrars had taken appropriate action.)

Secondly, Tim Ruiz asked if registrars could be given reports specific to
their own companies so they could analyse their performance individually.  I
checked this out with Tim Cole.  Right now, the system doesn't provide for
that level of reporting but we hope it will in time.  The ICANN IT staff
have been asked to look at how to provide this kind of detailed reporting,
though I do know it's one item in a long list of things they are working on.
I don't have a timeline for how long this will take but I will keep tracking
it with Tim. 
 
Finally, Ross Rader asked about the possibility to use the WDPRS as a sort
of 'one stop shop' for Whois data reporting, and for ICANN to be able to
follow up on complaints to ensure compliance.  Again, this isn't something
the system is currently set up to do, and it would also need more staff
resources in compliance.  But the organisation is hoping to  beef up its
compliance capabilites so perhaps this is an approach that would be worth
examining in more detail in the near future. 
 
If/as this work progresses, I think it could be useful to have some of
ICANN's operational staff on a future call.  
 
Please let me know if I haven't addressed the questions we had on this
week's call and I will get back to you with updated responses before our
call next week. 
 
All the best, Maria