Shielding Domain Registration Info?

occamboy asks: "I'd like to register a new domain, but I'm tired of getting tons of spam (most filtered, but some not) and snail mail whenever I register a new domain. In short, I'd like the domain, but I don't want to announce the details of its owner to the world. I was thinking of using GoDaddy's domain proxy, but the terms are scary: they reserve the right to change the agreement anytime, by posting the new terms on their site, and the buyer automatically agrees to the new terms. What's to prevent them from grabbing my domain name from me, or doing some other nefarious thing? So, is there any good way to anonymously acquire a domain? Should I just register with fake info, use a service ... or what?"

Comments

PO Box

[Arngautr]

I use a PO Box and an email account I can throw away if things get too bad. I think I might try the 'protected' option next time as the price isn't too bad.

Re:PO Box

[anthony_dipierro]

The PO box might not be a bad idea, but if you're outside the US you won't really need that (I get one snailmailspam per owned domain per year nowadays).

Assuming the only reason you want the PO box is to stop junk mail. Personally I don't want any random slashdotter finding out my address.

Do you know a good registrar?

[Futurepower(R)]

Do you know a good domain registrar? The first step is to find a good registrar. The second step is to solve the domain registration info problem.

My experience with GoDaddy is that the company is very abusive. GoDaddy is always trying to sell something else; there are such a huge number of ads that it interferes with proper operation of their web site. Many of the ads seem to me to try to take advantage of people who don't know much about the Internet.

The GoDaddy web site is, in my opinion, amateurish. There are issues like having a password field with 13 spaces, but actually accepting only 11 characters for a password. (I don't know if they have fixed that since I mentioned it to them.)

It's simply outrageous that a company says they can change the terms of a contract with you without your permission, or even knowing. Legally, that cannot be a contract. A contract only exists if you agree to the terms. You cannot enter into a contract that is so broad that you agree to be bound by any terms in the future.

It's amazing how abusive companies are becoming. They seem to be trying to see who can be the most abusive. Have a look at an Ed Foster column that says that the problem is less in Europe: Anti-Sneakwrap Law is UnAmerican.

I knew a three-year-old who once told me: 1) I can do anything I want. 2) You have no control. This is understandable in a three-year-old, who is merely testing the limits. I don't accept it coming from anyone who is older.

Things are really bad in the U.S. now, it seems. Everything to help powerful people get richer. Nothing to take care of the average person.

--
Bush: Spending money the U.S. doesn't have to try to make his administration look good.

Re:Do you know a good registrar?

[0x0d0a]

Of course, the reason why is fear of liability.

If US legal cases had capped damages, companies wouldn't be so hung up on avoiding the slightest hint of liability, willing to lose customers, even, to avoid the faintest trace.

A friend from Norway once told me that the reason that Norway doesn't have the problems with ridiculous worries over liability that the US does isn't that it's harder to prosecute a case in Norway. It's just that multimillion dollar awards are unheard of. You get restitution, but not scads of money above and beyond.

Cut down on the amount of money floating around in the legal system, and you return sanity to the consumer world.