Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NSI Registers Every Domain Checked

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the that's-why-they-are-the-front-runner dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In a developing story, registrar Network Solutions has been caught front-running domain names. Any domain names searched via NSI's whois are being immediately purchased by the registrar, thereby preventing a registrant from purchasing the domain at any other registrar. There are multiple reports of this practice over at DomainState.com." Update: 01/09 01:58 GMT by KD : shashib writes to let us know that NSI has issued a response to the accusations of front running.

24 of 668 comments (clear)

  1. Any way to... by Jaysyn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...automate requests with a dictionary? Make them bankrupt themselves purchasing bogus domains?

    --
    There is a war going on for your mind.
    1. Re:Any way to... by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was just about to post that ;) Best idea ever.... quoting this from DomainState.com: someone could totally script this and run there credit through the roof with the registry hahahahaha.

      Assuming it costs them SOMETHING (even pennies) to register a domain with the central registry then I think this is an absolutely awesome idea. I'll run such a script if someone writes it. In fact maybe I'll write one myself, because screwing over NSI sounds like a much better way to spend my afternoon then doing anything productive ;)

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    2. Re:Any way to... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


      uselessdomain00001.com
      uselessdomain00002.com
      uselessdomain00003.com
      uselessdomain00004.com...


      too subtle

      FuckYouNSI00001.com
      FuckYouNSI00002.com
      FuckYouNSI00003.com
      FuckYouNSI00004.com...

    3. Re:Any way to... by ergo98 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Make them bankrupt themselves purchasing bogus domains?

      I doubt they're making any financial commitment "purchasing" these domains. They're simply putting in a database record, and then removing it within the 5-day grace period (thus removing any liability to any other registrars).
    4. Re:Any way to... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      In fact maybe I'll write one myself, because screwing over NSI sounds like a much better way to spend my afternoon then doing anything productive ;)

      You must work for the government.

    5. Re:Any way to... by glpierce · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They won't lose any money (that's the whole point of "tasting", isn't it?), but that doesn't mean it wouldn't hurt them. If someone made a script that would search for every possible domain (up to say, 50 characters in length), no other registrar would be able to sell anything. There are enough competitors with enough money and enough at stake to pressure ICANN to take action if that happened. They could also theoretically sue NSI for attempting to create a monopoly (I assume there's some law it would break). Of course, that assumes that NSI doesn't pull the plug quickly enough.

      --
      G
    6. Re:Any way to... by Hawke · · Score: 5, Informative

      Er, no. Verisign owns the .com, .net registries. Verisign used to own Network Solutions, but they were spun out several years ago.

    7. Re:Any way to... by djtack · · Score: 5, Informative
      Here ya go... One thing, I noticed NSI stops registering domains after about 50 or so.

      #!/usr/bin/perl

      $count = $ARGV[0] || 8;
      @charlist = (A .. Z, a .. z, 0 .. 9);

      while (1) {
      my $domain = "";
      foreach $i (1 .. $count) {

      $word = `dd bs=1 count=4 if=/dev/random 2> /dev/null`;

      $number = unpack I1, $word;
      $number = $number / 2**32;
      $number *= scalar @charlist;
      $number = int $number;

      $domain .= $charlist[$number];
      }

      print `whois -h whois.networksolutions.com $domain.com`;
      sleep 2;
      }
    8. Re:Any way to... by LithiumX · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I was thinking more along the lines of trademark infringement. Something that would never go to court, but would result in a pretty quick C&D letter from a number of companies who are uncomfortable with their name being auto-registered on a whim.

      I did verify that you have to initiate a purchase before they auto-register. If you simply do a search, they don't do anything (that I can see), but if you click on "Add Domains to Order", it shows up on a general whois a few seconds later, allocated for a year.

      My question is... how long do they keep it? If they were to drop it after say, a few hours... even a few days... I'd consider it a dangerously abuseable practice but little worse. If they keep it any longer than that, it's a few steps shy of a domain hijack.

      Seriously, I think it's just meant to be a service, but I don't see how it offers any kind of service if they allow others to waltz in and register these names themselves (which it sounds like they do, judging from posts on DomainState).

      --
      Do not confuse "Freedom of Choice" with "Free Will".
    9. Re:Any way to... by UsualDosage · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think the rationale behind this isn't entirely malicious. Consider the fact that domains are valuable property. If you were in the process of buying a domain, and had to take the time to fill our user information, credit card information and all of the textboxes that they make you fill out (particularly if you are a first time user), there is a good chance that someone from another registrar could snatch the domain out from under you simply because they were a faster typer, or had previously registered. In this way, if you do a WHOIS search with NSI, the name is locked for a short time to allow you to complete your transaction, and to disallow anyone else who may be following in your tracks to buy you your name before you can.

      It makes sense, and I'm frankly surprised that no one hasn't noticed this before. I for one am glad that someone peeking over my shoulder can buy a domain from their iPhone before I can finish clicking "buy".

      --
      "A true friend stabs you in the front." -Oscar Wilde
    10. Re:Any way to... by the_one(2) · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't discourage him =)

    11. Re:Any way to... by SnapperHead · · Score: 5, Funny

      Domain Name: USELESSDOMAIN00001.COM
            Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
            Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com
            Referral URL: http://www.networksolutions.com/
            Name Server: NS1.RESERVEDDOMAINNAME.COM
            Name Server: NS2.RESERVEDDOMAINNAME.COM
            Status: ok
            Updated Date: 08-jan-2008
            Creation Date: 08-jan-2008
            Expiration Date: 08-jan-2009

      Nice, how nice

      --
      until (succeed) try { again(); }
    12. Re:Any way to... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Just tried 3 domain names. The 1st and 3rd domain name, I used their website search feature. They snagged those 2 up quick. The second domain I searched, I did a "whois -h whois.networksolutions.com ..." and they did not snatch up that domain name. Apparently, they are only snatching searched made through their website interface.

  2. Re:Make it cost them ... by anotherone · · Score: 5, Informative

    RTFA. If the user doesn't buy in a few days, they delete the domain- doesn't cost them anything.

    --
    Username taken, please choose another one.
  3. Well, they're now the proud owners of by Malevolent+Tester · · Score: 5, Funny

    network-solutions-hates-non-whites.com
    our-ceo-jacks-off-to-goatse.com
    batman-touched-my-junk-liberally.com

    --
    If you haven't made a developer cry, you've wasted a day.
  4. Re:Use the /. effect to make them screw themselves by RobertB-DC · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So, we can create a link that has a simple php script to have the user check a random domain through them. That way it isn't all coming from one IP Address...

    Who needs a script when you have the power of Slashdot? /me goes off to join the crowd at the whois watering hole...
    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  5. Re:Please don't disturb me. by hedleyroos · · Score: 5, Funny

    I code in Python. My program is already running :)

  6. Don't use WHOIS by Antibozo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Whether it's NSI or some other registrar doing it, this has been a known issue for a long time. The solution is not to use WHOIS. Instead follow DNS from the root and see if it goes anywhere. E.g.:

    dig the-domain-you-want.com. +trace
  7. ICANN to the rescue! by EllynGeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't worry, ICANN will fix everything and make it right!

    I slay me.

    --

    we will end no whine before its time

  8. Re:Can't be ALL of them. by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 5, Informative
    1. Go to networksolutions.com and check the availability of a random domain
    2. Go to some other registrar (domainsatcost.ca worked for me) and try the same thing.

    Mysteriously, the domain is suddenly unavailable.

    --
    http://outcampaign.org/
  9. PR response from NSI by vmxeo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Domain Name Wire has posted a response from NSI's PR department. Here's the relevent quote from NSI:

    I just got off the phone with Susan Wade, who heads PR for Network Solutions. "This is a customer protection measure to protect customers from frontrunners," said Wade. "After four days, we release the domain." According to Wade, Network Solutions instituted this program as a test over the past few weeks. I asked if Network Solutions is actually acting as a frontrunner by doing this and she said there's a distinction. First, they are not monetizing the domains. Second, they have no intention of keeping the domains. All domains are released after the four day period.

    Translation: So if anyone else does it, it's bad, because they're domain front-running. But when we do it's it's ok, because, uh, we say so. No, really!

    --
    Shameless plug for my photos on Flickr
  10. Re:Network Solutions' Response by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Its a lie. if you check Ihaveabigprick.com and its available, 2 days later Joe Schmoe from Poughkeepsie can come along and register it, provided he does it at NetSol. It will show up as unavailable elsewhere, but available at NetSol.

    So, this does nothing to protect you from having your domain registered out from under you provided the other person uses NetSol. The only one it protects is NetSol from having you decide to register it elsewhere with a registrar who doesn't charge NetSol's ripoff price. It's a "feature" solely to benefit NetSol at the EXPENSE of everyone else. Slimy fuckers that they have always been.

    --
    This space available.
  11. Clarification from Network Solutions by shashib · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hi my name is Shashi Bellamkonda and I work for Network Solutions. Aprreciate the opportunity to clarify. Here is a response on Circleid http://www.circleid.com/posts/81082_network_solutions_front_running/. Network Solutions is not front running. We've implemented a customer protection measure to help defend our customers against the actions of "front runners" or those persons who register domain names known to have been searched, for the purpose of monetizing them and then selling them at inflated prices either directly to the customer who searched for the domain or through aftermarket channels. The protection measure holds the searched domains at Network Solutions for up to 4 days so customers can take the time to decide whether registration of the domain name will help them build and protect their brand. Network Solutions is not registering these names at the end of the reservation period with the hope of selling them in the secondary market. Likewise, we're not placing any advertisements on these domains to monetize their traffic while they are in the reservation period.

    --
    Social Media Swami | Network Solutions | http://blog.networksolutions.com
    1. Re:Clarification from Network Solutions by Antibozo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      On the contrary, Network Solutions is effectively monetizing the domains by forcing buyers to purchase them at Network Solutions' inflated prices.

      Furthermore, this concept of protection would only make sense if you thought consumers were searching for a domain both on Network Solutions' lookup system and on that of an another unethical competitor. But why would consumers do that? One lookup is sufficient, and by definition, you know that one lookup occurred on your site, so it's already unlikely that a competitor will have the opportunity. The notion that you're protecting anyone doesn't wash.