Slashdot Mirror
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?"
Form a company to own the domain, and register it in the name of that company. That way if someone really needs to find you they can, but it will take some work (they'll have to find where you incorporated and then find your name in that paperwork). That should keep the spammers away -- they hate real work.
If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
namecheap.com
$8.88 USD domain registry, and like 5$ a year for a 'whoisguard' subscription per domain per year..nobody is getting your info without subpoena
I use them for all of my domains, and couldnt imagine using anyone else..
Also.. you should be wary of godaddy.. i've heard of them snatching up peoples domain for no good reason..
Sometimes people really do need to contact you. If your domain is causing problems or otherwise interfering with the network, or someone has a dispute with you but would rather not let it escalate to the point of sending nastygrams to the owner of your IP block, it is very convienient to be able to just e-mail someone. That's why it is there. Sending a message out to the larger hosting / access company usually results in absolutely nothing, especially if it is a large hosting company.
Stay a part of the community. Keep your contact information available and up-to-date.
The ______ Agenda
Be careful using domains by proxy. All someone has to do is email or send a letter to them saying you are violating their copyrights and with or without any proof at all they will release your personal information, remove the proxy service from your domain and charge you a $20 administrative fee.
I run a website that lists mp3 song album and song names and I have had this happen to me several times sofar. Be careful.
-Gerard
If someone wants your address bad enough, they're not going to stop at whois.
Heh, it took the FBI about a year to find me back in 96 (some idiot was running a vigilante justice site on my webhosting site and apparently was sending threatening letters through the USPS, eventually they were able to trace me through my New York license which they got after finding my New Jersey address on whois and then tracing that to my New York address, finally they called me one day and asked for the contact information of the vigilante, whose site I had already blocked long ago, and I gave them the name that was listed commenting that it was probably fake). So yeah, it's possible, but it's pretty damn hard. Even harder now that I'm living with someone and the lease is in her name. You'd probably have to figure out her name first, at least if you wanted to use public records.
Problem with this is that these domain registrars like to use alternative domains to contact their customers. Godaddy uses supportwebsite.com for all inquiries, and Network Solutions, well they've got aliase domains up the wazoo.
eTrade SUCKS