RE: [ga] Privacy and Whois databases

["Brad Waller" <waller@ep.com>]

> William Semich
> Sent: Friday, October 15, 1999 10:53 AM
>
> I believe this is a very important issue for the domain name space. When
> name registration systems were initially set up, domain name registrants
> were generally not private persons. Now the majority of domain names being
> registered are being done by private persons (perhaps for small companies,
> but still by individuals).
>
> This contact information should be private, I believe. If someone needs
> contact imformation (for example, a trademark attorney) about a domain
name
> holder, they should reveal what they need it for and who they are to the
> registrar/registry before private information is given to them.
>
> If they can not justify a valid need for this information, it should be
> witheld.
>
> What does the rest of the DNSO think?

Out of the lurk mode, I'm making my first post here...

I think it should remain public.  Websites are by their very nature public
as well, and as such there should be a way to get contact information on
them.  Is not .com for *commercial* sites?  This does not mean that you must
have the home phone numbers and addresses of individuals.  I use my business
contact information for my .org domain.  If I did not have this to fall back
on, I would rent a PO box and use that.

What are people trying to hide from?  There are many more reasons to want
this information other than legal inquiries.  There have been many times
where I have needed to contact a domain owner who had no (or invalid)
information on their site, or the site was not active.

Now, if we are too add in new domains such as the .per (personal), the
situation might be more clouded.  But for any .com, .net, or .org, I see no
reason why the entity needs to hide behind a cloak of secrecy.

Brad Waller