RE: [gnso-dow123] Uses of WHOIS data

["Bruce Tonkin" <Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Kathy,
 
I suspect that what one party might consider to be a "use" of WHOIS,
another party might consider the same use as an abuse of WHOIS.
 
For now, the Council has asked Maria to collect information on the uses
of WHOIS.
 
The purpose is likely to be a narrower subset of these users in the
context of ICANN's mission and core values.
 
For example, a current use of WHOIS today could be to collect leads for
making sales calls.  This is unlikely to be considered to be part of a
new policy on the WHOIS purpose.
 
A more recent use of WHOIS is to collect information for use in making
search engines more effective.  Again while this may be a reasonable use
of WHOIS, it may not be part of a policy with respect to the purpose of
WHOIS.
 
 
With respect to item 3 of the WHOIS task force terms of reference, it
could be worth documenting some of the abuses of WHOIS that have been
collected so far - with respect to considering how to avoid such abuse.
However I think this is best considered after the purpose of WHOIS has
been defined.
 
For example it may be considered to be an abuse of WHOIS to use WHOIS to
determine the home address of a registrant for the purpose of visiting
that address in person for a reason unrelated to the domain name.   A
way of preventing that abuse could be for a registrant to use a service
that forwards postal mail to a home address.  The address of the service
could be displayed in the WHOIS for the purposes of contacting that
person via the postal mail system.
 
Regards,
Bruce Tonkin
 
 
 


________________________________

        From: KathrynKL@xxxxxxx [mailto:KathrynKL@xxxxxxx] 
        Sent: Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:06 AM
        To: Bruce Tonkin; maria.farrell@xxxxxxxxx
        Cc: council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; gnso-dow123@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: Re: [gnso-dow123] Uses of WHOIS data
        
        
        
        Bruce:
        In the past, the WHOIS task forces have also surveyed the
*Abuses* of the
        WHOIS data and service.   Information is always used in positive
ways.  Its 
        downsides do not emerge and cannot be fairly and fully evaluated
(we have
        found in our past TF work) without review of the downsides, the
Abuses.
         
        As Maria goes through so much collected data, do your directions
to her
        also include collecting past discussions, survey results and
comments 
        regarding Abuses of WHOIS data?
         
        Thanks
        Kathy (Kleiman/NCUC)

                Hello Maria,
                
                In the past, the WHOIS task forces have surveyed the
users of the WHOIS
                service and collected information on how the data
retrieved from WHOIS
                is currently used by these users.
                
                TO assist the WHOIS task force to determine the purpose
of the public
                display (via the WHOIS service) of data collected at the
time of
                registration, please collate the current uses of WHOIS
data as recorded
                in previous WHOIS policy work.
                
                The GNSO Constituencies can review the information and
make any
                corrections or additions.
                
                I hope this can be done within 7 days.
                
                Once all the information is available, the WHOIS task
force can begin to
                develop a policy that specifies a purpose for WHOIS in
the context of
                the ICANN mission and core values. 
                
                For the GNSO public forum in Luxembourg, the aim should
be to provide
                the public with information on the current uses of
WHOIS, and a proposed
                policy for the purpose of the WHOIS service.   The task
force can then
                take advantage of public comment.
                
                Regards,
                Bruce Tonkin