Internet Domain / Whois Question
 

Hi,

Please forgive the stupid question – I really have no idea about this as software / Internet is not a speciality of mine and I do not program the sites myself.

I have a couple of dot.com registrations. Considering my line of work involves relatively expensive hardware, I’m a tad nervous about my full name and address appearing in the Whois Internet domain registration log, for obvious security reasons. I notice that a lot of firms register their dot.com domains with third-party firms. However, being an independent operator, I am not entirely sure how one would go about getting my dot.coms registered at the address of a third-party administrator.

Will I have to effectively sell my domains to a third-party, and have them re-register them? Is there such a thing as a 'baby-sitting' service for domain registrations?

Thanks in advance for tolerating what probably is a stupid question!

some domain resellers have an option to register your domain anonymously, I forget which ones, possibly godaddy.com

Thanks, but it's too late now. The firm I used does not have that option, and I now have 2 dot.com with my full address and contact info in Whois.

I've had this issue as well. For UK domains there is an opt-out option. You don't have this for a dotcom so I've used the address of my hosting company as the address for the technical contact along with my email address.
This way, I retain control of the domain without exposing private data. This is the whois for gdwnet.com - my domain:



Registrant:
Private Individual
3-3a Gloucester Street
Bath, Avon
GB

Domain name: GDWNET.COM

Administrative Contact:
Williams, Gary [email protected]
3-3a Gloucester Street
Bath, Avon
GB
+44.8707872835
Technical Contact:
Hostmaster, Gradwell dot com [email protected]
3-3a Gloucester Street
Bath, Avon BA1 2SE
GB
+44.8707872835

Thanks, William.

Am I to assume that it's down to the firm you registered the domain with as to whether they tolerate you giving their address as your registered address?

There is a significant reason they ask for your address, its so they have you as a legal entity...

You can register using registerX or similar and get a recognised address to put in the whois, you register your names with the agency, they supply and address, and the registers know its not your address and know you are using an agency.

Some registers have lists of anonomous agencies that are approved, some dont.

With godaddy i think you can add it on after.

I put my hosts address in my public whois with there permission, and they forward any letters to me...

Generally a decent hosting company will understand your right to privacy. Some, may even offer to put their address into the various contact fields.

I'd be surprised if any hosting company had an issue with you using their contact details, In fact if they DO have an issue I wouldn't use them.

"for obvious security reasons"

What are these obvious security reasons?

:rolleyes:

I've got a .co.uk domain and at registration I took the option of having my name excluded from the whois database - I seem to recall I had that option as I was a private individual, not an organisation.

.COM is a "thin" TLD (top level domain), meaning that very few details are registered at the actual Network Information Centre (NIC, the place that administrates the TLD).

www.who.is gives the following for microsoft.com, no mention of who actually owns it, you can try your own domains:

Domain Name: microsoft.com

Status: clientDeleteProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited

Registrar: TUCOWS INC.
Whois Server: whois.tucows.com
Referral URL: http://domainhelp.opensrs.net

Expiration Date: 2014-05-03
Creation Date: 1991-05-02
Last Update Date: 2006-10-10

Name Servers:
ns1.msft.net
ns2.msft.net
ns3.msft.net
ns4.msft.net
ns5.msft.net

Still waiting :(

Let's see ... has lots of valuable equipment at his premises ... doesn't want the address published ... I wonder why that could be.

Did he say he has lots of valuables???

I know where the Queen lives :ugh:

Must check my calendar, I could have sworn that 'Total Tosser's Day' was later in the year.

I've been burgled three times. Twice was before the invention of the internet, and the third time it was a local lad who lived a mile away. Your name and address on a domain whois will increase your chances of being burgled by precisely 0.00001%.

No Airborne Artist, your name and address on a domain whois has possibly increased your chances of being burgled by 0.00001%;)