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I have to try ...

  • To: whois-comments@xxxxxxxxx
  • Subject: I have to try ...
  • From: "L.D. Best" <l.d.best@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:08:27 -0500

I'm all for rights, including the right to privacy. But in certain venues it should be understood that privacy does not come with the package.

I own a half-dozen domain names, and manage (pay for) one of my son's, and I know the info is there for everyone to see. This is as it should be!

In fact, my main complaint about whois-type domain info is that the agencies registering the domains do not verify the data given by the purchaser! So what if it costs time and money ... any legit purchaser of a domain name should be more than willing to pay a $5 fee for verification upon original purchase, or upon any change in contact/owner data. With enough $5 payments, software could be developed or someone could be paid to actually call telephone numbers or send out snail mail.

I cannot think of any legit reason for people to need privacy for their domain data. And I don't want to hear any muttering about "what about kids?" Any person/entity purchasing domain registration should be required to prove the right to negotiate contracts -- for a sale *is* a contract -- and anyone who purchases domain registration (including parents who would somehow want to give a kid a domain to play with) should be made clearly aware that ALL data given in the application will be public, and that owner/contact information will be verified before the registration becomes final.

The use of proxies is totally unacceptable. The use of coded or hidden data is totally unacceptable. This approach would protect only the guilty, hide only what should be in plain sight, and make tracing domain owner -- because they are linked to bad stuff OR because someone wants to contact them about the site (face it ... webmaster@ is a joke in most cases), or because someone wishes to make a legitimate offer for the name, or many other legit uses -- impossible.

Freedom comes at a price. Anyone who wishes to participate as a domain holder on the internet should be made aware of, and realize, that the freedom to use a false name (that's what domain names are) comes with the price of losing a degree of privacy. Period.

For those who worry about spam to registration contact addresses, I have some simple advice: Get the software to stop spam in its tracks, take the time and effort to protect yourself. Anyone who doesn't have the security sense to do that might well lack the common sense to run a domain in the first place.

/s/ l.d.
L.D. Best
Domain registration holder since 2000


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