SG: Belated comments on the ICANN Whois data presentation

["Steven J. Garner" <sgarner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To whom it may concern,

  My wife and I operate a small, home-based consulting firm.  One registrar
for our domains allowed us to use alternate data within the Whois listings
(see email thread below).  Our current registrar does not offer that
opportunity.  We were directed to the ICANN Whois registration requirements
for guidance on what personal information we could avoid putting on display.

 

  My visit to
http://gnso.icann.org/issues/whois-privacy/tf-report-15mar06.htm#0.3.1 shows
we are too late for the comment period on the Whois contact data discussion.
Still, we would like to express our concerns.

 

  Private individuals that register a specific domain are currently required
to provide personal information within the Whois contacts listing.  Our
personal information can then be used for both legitimate and inappropriate
purposes.  The opportunity to have a 'safe' alternative to posting our home
address, home phone number and personal email address would be greatly
appreciated.

 

  The option to use an alternate set of contact data (our registrar's for
example) instead of publishing our personal data would be a welcome relief.
Our services are all provided 'virtually', so no visits to our actual
home-office location is necessary (or appropriate).  The current requirement
to put our home address, home phone number and personal email address on
display exposes us to undesirable uses of that personal information.

 

  We are currently entertaining the expansion of our Web site to include a
youth sporting section addressing community activities.  The potential for
unwanted visitations by disreputable individuals or organizations able to
collect our personal data from the ICANN Whois contact resource troubles us
greatly.  The benefit to our community will be stifled because of our
concerns for personal and family safety.

 

  Last year, we planned to post a quantity of family photos for the benefit
of our extended family.  We chose not to in large part because of the photos
might draw the attention of unscrupulous individuals that would then be able
to collect our personal location information from the Whois contact
resource.

 

  In addition, the Whois contact resource is currently able to be exploited
to target our email and our home address with spam, computer viruses, and
junk mail.

 

Steven J. Garner

Achieve Success through Strategic Growth

 

916.362.9717           <http://www.SG4U.com> www.SG4U.com 

 

<<  begin email excerpt from former registrar; emphasis added  >>

 

If you have added Private Registration to your domain name registration,
alternate contact information for your e-mail address, postal address, and
phone number will be displayed in WHOIS. This information does not need to
be updated. Please remember that although you may have Private Registration
for your domain name registration(s), you are still required to maintain
accurate contact information with us within Account Manager.

 

<<  end email excerpt from former registrar; emphasis added  >>