can someone view my whois search?

cache · 02-23-2006, 06:19 PM

the question is: can someone view my whois search and use this data to register a good name?

I have seen this question a few times, I have never believe it to be true. In one thread I even answered that it does not make any sense. But now I am rethining it, because it just happened that three of domain names I have searched registered right after I searched. I just can't believe it.

weblord · 02-23-2006, 06:34 PM

actually even before using your domain whois information they can register any of your domains while you're just thinking about it if specially you done your whois research first on the domain using networksolutions.com and/or whois.sc for they considered all whois inputted from their whois search box to be "used" information so they can sell it and they own all of it's results, another site is domainnamesoup.com (pls correct me with the spelling if wrong)

however if question of privacy is that you're concerned with i highly advise you to use a whois protection on your domain

seeker · 02-24-2006, 02:16 AM

this keeps being debated over the years, with supporters of both answers (yes and no).
the no camp says that the possibility of someone also thinking of the same name is great, and by coincidence they regged it. Especially true of domains related to something that is in the news or spotlight.
I support the yes camp. I do believe that depending on the name and the search result (i.e. domain available), it is soooooo easy to write a a script that looks through the log files per day or per hour even, and if a name is good or has good overture (again something easy to check by script) it is then compiled and sent 'somewhere' or to a few people who then reg them.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/170611-can-someone-view-my-whois-search.html
in theory, every time you search whois, the registry has a log for this, but getting the registry involved isnt as easy. Getting a site that you search through or a registrar on the other hand, should not be that difficult.
I do not believe in the 'coincidence' theory.
If you find a name, reg it right there and then, or dont search.
Thats just my opinion of course.

cache · 02-24-2006, 12:07 PM

weblord,

I used to have the same believe as you, but then a few of the names just HAPPENED to be registered by someone else RIGHT AFTER I searched. This changed my believe. I bet if this really happens to you, you would re-think what you believe.

Originally Posted by weblord

actually even before using your domain whois information they can register any of your domains while you're just thinking about it if specially you done your whois research first on the domain using networksolutions.com and/or whois.sc for they considered all whois inputted from their whois search box to be "used" information so they can sell it and they own all of it's results, another site is domainnamesoup.com (pls correct me with the spelling if wrong)
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=170611

however if question of privacy is that you're concerned with i highly advise you to use a whois protection on your domain

Anthony · 02-24-2006, 05:28 PM

It would be great if we could hear from someone in the whois business to reply to this issue. Of course, if they were doing this "bad" practice, they wouldn't be likely to blab about it.

MissFlora · 02-24-2006, 05:38 PM

Sometimes the reason you see they are registered "now" is because of the delay of whois updates as well. That domain might have been registered? Did you try checking it up with some registrar to see if they are available (to be registered) and the next minute, check it again but it is no longer available? Many times, scripts and computers are programmed to read log files and register them automatically. It is too time consuming to do that manually. Afterall, who can stand looking through thousands of whois per minute? Nonetheless, I personally encountered issues where the domain I looked up is available and after an hr, it is gone. But I know the "fellow" who registered it is a script bot so I literally knew what happened. Even if companies do keep logs of whois searching, what can we do? No matter what program we use, it will land us to the same point: whois. I am really interested in hearing more about this.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=170611

Flora.

khuldun · 03-16-2006, 02:35 AM

Apart from the whois update delay, what i personally think is that when you go to register a domain, there are thousands of domainers just like you willing to register any good domain they can get their hands on, so sometimes its pure coincidence that you loose a domain while checking if its free or not.

weblord · 03-16-2006, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by cache

weblord,

I used to have the same believe as you, but then a few of the names just HAPPENED to be registered by someone else RIGHT AFTER I searched. This changed my believe. I bet if this really happens to you, you would re-think what you believe.

yes

im speaking from my experiences.

zendiz · 03-22-2006, 07:03 PM

Check out http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-...2-strange.html
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=170611

I believe it will do more damage then good in the long run.
I asked name.com support for an explanation and 2 weeks later still no reply from them on this matter. Which I think just says enough.

Why wouldn't they do it?
It's plain and simple. You search for a domain to see if its free.
If a lot of ppl have checked the same domain but didn't register it, well there is interest. And long term it works out for domain traffic (PPC) and increasing domain value.

So the registrar that sells the domain is profiting from both sides, as provider of a domain selling service and as of PPC.

Why wouldn't they register themselves as they don't wanna get linked to such practices so they have a 3rd party either register the name for them OR for a commission they have a 3rd party snoop on their visitor behaviour. For this you have to have access to the registrar's (or whois site) log files. There is no way with these days server security settings that they can snoop in between the site and you visiting it without site owners knowlegde of it. So my guess they have to be in it.

weblord · 03-22-2006, 07:11 PM

so the lesson to learn once you do a whois on a particular "hot" domain name in mind is make sure you make ready your plastic to register it or else someone else will have it. speaking specifically with my experience on weblord.com, and weblord.net it's just 15 minutes after I check via a public cybercafe using networksolutions.com and what do you know it was registered when I got home.

zendiz · 03-22-2006, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by weblord

so the lesson to learn once you do a whois on a particular "hot" domain name in mind is make sure you make ready your plastic to register it or else someone else will have it. speaking specifically with my experience on weblord.com, and weblord.net it's just 15 minutes after I check via a public cybercafe using networksolutions.com and what do you know it was registered when I got home.

So can it be said that they are misusing their connections to invade someones privacy? I dunno if there are any lawfirms reading this but IMHO there is a difference between gathering surfing behaviour for statistic purposes and actually using the data you enter over their lines for other usage.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=170611

For example a provider can count the amount of emails you send for measuring server load but it cannot use any of the emails content or the address you send from/to. That would be a grave invasion of privacy. Even when they offer you to use their email address or connection.

cache · 03-24-2006, 09:57 AM

I think the best way to punish them is not to use certain whois search engine. If someone can keep a list of whois_search engines that are questionable, fewer people would use them and less traffic to them. This way the owner of the whois would want to take some step to protect the search privacy information.

02-23-2006, 06:19 PM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
cache Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Goblin Wars Zone & California Posts: 4,451	can someone view my whois search? the question is: can someone view my whois search and use this data to register a good name? I have seen this question a few times, I have never believe it to be true. In one thread I even answered that it does not make any sense. But now I am rethining it, because it just happened that three of domain names I have searched registered right after I searched. I just can't believe it. __________________ LaFrance Hods Raids Trik OXSI GoblinWars IQx yPortal Idel enlo Kitu Hytu Albums eMontage Cereal Tarf MDTalks Toch TV vald hosy Bagr Glem wolk corg ypen DiTV

02-23-2006, 06:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
weblord NamePros Legend Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Philippines - www.Nabaza.com Posts: 19,785	actually even before using your domain whois information they can register any of your domains while you're just thinking about it if specially you done your whois research first on the domain using networksolutions.com and/or whois.sc for they considered all whois inputted from their whois search box to be "used" information so they can sell it and they own all of it's results, another site is domainnamesoup.com (pls correct me with the spelling if wrong) however if question of privacy is that you're concerned with i highly advise you to use a whois protection on your domain __________________ Nabaza.com - Amaia

02-24-2006, 02:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
seeker Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,169	this keeps being debated over the years, with supporters of both answers (yes and no). the no camp says that the possibility of someone also thinking of the same name is great, and by coincidence they regged it. Especially true of domains related to something that is in the news or spotlight. I support the yes camp. I do believe that depending on the name and the search result (i.e. domain available), it is soooooo easy to write a a script that looks through the log files per day or per hour even, and if a name is good or has good overture (again something easy to check by script) it is then compiled and sent 'somewhere' or to a few people who then reg them. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/170611-can-someone-view-my-whois-search.html in theory, every time you search whois, the registry has a log for this, but getting the registry involved isnt as easy. Getting a site that you search through or a registrar on the other hand, should not be that difficult. I do not believe in the 'coincidence' theory. If you find a name, reg it right there and then, or dont search. Thats just my opinion of course. __________________ Seek and you shall find!

02-24-2006, 05:38 PM	#6 (permalink)
MissFlora Epitome.Of.Pulchritude Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,136	Sometimes the reason you see they are registered "now" is because of the delay of whois updates as well. That domain might have been registered? Did you try checking it up with some registrar to see if they are available (to be registered) and the next minute, check it again but it is no longer available? Many times, scripts and computers are programmed to read log files and register them automatically. It is too time consuming to do that manually. Afterall, who can stand looking through thousands of whois per minute? Nonetheless, I personally encountered issues where the domain I looked up is available and after an hr, it is gone. But I know the "fellow" who registered it is a script bot so I literally knew what happened. Even if companies do keep logs of whois searching, what can we do? No matter what program we use, it will land us to the same point: whois. I am really interested in hearing more about this. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=170611 Flora. __________________ %%- 29th May NP Auction at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT/12am UTC %%- Drop-by when you are free: 1-after-1 NP$ .info Auction Toronto Summer 2011: Book NOW! \| For Sale: CrazyScript.com - comes with some traffic!

03-16-2006, 02:35 AM	#7 (permalink)
khuldun Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: In front of my Dell Posts: 1,126	Apart from the whois update delay, what i personally think is that when you go to register a domain, there are thousands of domainers just like you willing to register any good domain they can get their hands on, so sometimes its pure coincidence that you loose a domain while checking if its free or not. __________________ New mobile content website coming soon

02-24-2006, 05:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
Anthony NamePros Expert Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 9,134	It would be great if we could hear from someone in the whois business to reply to this issue. Of course, if they were doing this "bad" practice, they wouldn't be likely to blab about it.

03-22-2006, 07:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
zendiz NamePros Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 70	Check out http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-...2-strange.html ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=170611 I believe it will do more damage then good in the long run. I asked name.com support for an explanation and 2 weeks later still no reply from them on this matter. Which I think just says enough. Why wouldn't they do it? It's plain and simple. You search for a domain to see if its free. If a lot of ppl have checked the same domain but didn't register it, well there is interest. And long term it works out for domain traffic (PPC) and increasing domain value. So the registrar that sells the domain is profiting from both sides, as provider of a domain selling service and as of PPC. Why wouldn't they register themselves as they don't wanna get linked to such practices so they have a 3rd party either register the name for them OR for a commission they have a 3rd party snoop on their visitor behaviour. For this you have to have access to the registrar's (or whois site) log files. There is no way with these days server security settings that they can snoop in between the site and you visiting it without site owners knowlegde of it. So my guess they have to be in it. __________________ PLAY FOR FREE AND WIN

03-22-2006, 07:11 PM	#10 (permalink)
weblord NamePros Legend Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Philippines - www.Nabaza.com Posts: 19,785	so the lesson to learn once you do a whois on a particular "hot" domain name in mind is make sure you make ready your plastic to register it or else someone else will have it. speaking specifically with my experience on weblord.com, and weblord.net it's just 15 minutes after I check via a public cybercafe using networksolutions.com and what do you know it was registered when I got home. __________________ Nabaza.com - Amaia

03-24-2006, 09:57 AM	THREAD STARTER #12 (permalink)
cache Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Goblin Wars Zone & California Posts: 4,451	I think the best way to punish them is not to use certain whois search engine. If someone can keep a list of whois_search engines that are questionable, fewer people would use them and less traffic to them. This way the owner of the whois would want to take some step to protect the search privacy information. __________________ LaFrance Hods Raids Trik OXSI GoblinWars IQx yPortal Idel enlo Kitu Hytu Albums eMontage Cereal Tarf MDTalks Toch TV vald hosy Bagr Glem wolk corg ypen DiTV

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