[CS-FSLUG] [OT] Domain Name Registration - privacy?

[David Aikema]

Some registrars allow you to bounce your mail through them.  My usual
registrar (Namecheap.com), offers something called whoisguard ... they
say it's a $4/year feature, but I think it's been free with domain
purchase ever since they brought it in.  I'm not quite sure what it
all includes.

I also have a .ca domain registered with domainsatcost.ca and they
offer something somewhat similar (they even use randomly generated
email addresses, changed monthly, as forwarders to your site ---
beware their fees for if you want to transfer a domain out though.

(Note that although I have domains with both registrars, I'm not using
their privacy features)

On the topic of privacy concerns, I have to say that I agree with you.
 There's progress looming on the .ca front - see
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1101078609533&call_pageid=970599119419
- but for the more typical domains the privacy concerns do remain.

I actually have a free voicemail/fax account via j2.com which is
attached to my whois listings to avoid giving out my phone number -
anything sent there appears in my email (I can't recall whether or not
they support Linux).  I honestly don't even know which state the phone
numberis local to (815-361-5942 ... Illinois or something?), but other
than verifying it's operation once or twice a year, it basically sits
unused.

David

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 15:51:30 -0500, K Montgomery <keltik at nycap.rr.com> wrote:
> Those of you who have registered domains, what contact information do
> you use to register?  As I understand, the contact information (such as
> postal address) of a domain's registrant is made public in the WHOIS
> database.  For private individuals, I'd think that would be a big
> privacy concern.
> 
> I want to register a domain, and that's the only worry holding me back.