opinion Removing WhoIs Data from Public View Only Removes Transparency from the Net

[clasione]

"Removing the public registration data behind all domain name registrations makes no-one any safer, and only adds more obscurity and complications to the business for those who buy, sell and trade online, and not just in domains. It’s more a solution that’s looking far-and-wide for its problem."

See the rest of the article at StrategicRevenue.com

 

[Michael M]

There really is only one problem that this is going to solve - Whois Spam.

Seems like using a nuke to take out an anthill....

I personally believe eliminating publicly available whois data is an overreaction.

"We don't have time to think.... We must act!"
"We must do something"
"Doing anything is better than doing nothing"
"It needs to appear as if we are proactive"

 

[DomainRecap]

I feel that basic WHOIS is data is important, but I also firmly believe that personal address and phone number information has no business in a wide-open database freely accessible by 3rd-world scammers.

These guys are not out there looking to send you SPAM, they are calling Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc. and by using your address and phone number + easy social engineering tricks, are stealing your email and cell phone numbers, and thereby potentially gaining access to your domain name accounts.

This has happened a lot lately, and the number of stolen domains just continues to grow to the point where I won't even buy a domain that doesn't offer Whois privacy.

I've said this before, but personal online crime is not perpetrated by TV/movie cliches like a guy in a hoodie typing away in a dark room on a VPN, it's a 12-year old kid sitting in a huge call center in Morocco, phoning Verizon while looking at your WHOIS printout, and saying "I am sorry, I lost my password... yes... here is my address and phone number".

 

[joro001]

I feel that basic WHOIS is data is important, but I also firmly believe that personal address and phone number information has no business in a wide-open database freely accessible by 3rd-world scammers.

These guys are not out there looking to send you SPAM, they are calling Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc. and by using your address and phone number + easy social engineering tricks, are stealing your email and cell phone numbers, and thereby potentially gaining access to your domain name accounts.

This has happened a lot lately, and the number of stolen domains just continues to grow to the point where I won't even buy a domain that doesn't offer Whois privacy.

I've said this before, but personal online crime is not perpetrated by TV/movie cliches like a guy in a hoodie typing away in a dark room on a VPN, it's a 12-year old kid sitting in a huge call center in Morocco, phoning Verizon while looking at your WHOIS printout, and saying "I am sorry, I lost my password... yes... here is my address and phone number".

Great post. I must be one of very few who think the upcoming changes are wonderful for people like me who can't stand the relentless spam coming from third world countries, India being the worst by a mile. I also don't want my data easily accessible by these scumbags to carry out fraud like you mention above or even just to spam me non stop, so can't wait till my details are hidden from these idiots.

Yes it will affect full time domainers no doubt and I do appreciate it's frustrating for them but as an end user myself who buys domains for various projects and sometimes to resell depending on the situation etc. this is a moment in time that can't come quick enough. Can't wait for the day i don't need to delete 20+ emails or more from these scammers daily, never mind the phone calls.

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Its worth it. Had enough spam
Transparency .haha