Re: It stinks...
I registered my first domain in 1998 as well and the information there is complete and correct as of this day.
Mind you, I don't put data in there that could directly endanger me or subject me to stalkers. Never had a single problem with it, maybe a dumb domain-switch solicitation mail or fax every once in a blue moon, that's about it.
I see basically ZERO reason for any legitimate business to hide behind a 100% redacted WHOIS record. If you are a legitimate business and not a scammer, you owe it to the public who may be roped into "doing business with you" simply because you're serving some dodgy JS on thousands of webpages that people encounter every day without any warning in advance that your lousy dodgy JS is going to be trying to get into their browser.
At the VERY least they should have their f'ing COMPANY NAME there. Would you buy stuff from an entity on Amazon that won't even tell you what the name of their company is or where they're based?? Would you buy a car or a pork loin from a reseller that won't even tell you who they are?? This is absurd.
For individuals of course it's different, if they don't have a business or mailing service address or a phone # that doesn't ring at their house or on their mobile then yes, I understand all that. I'm not talking about such people. I'm talking about companies who you are forced to "do business with" in the form of active online code, but which REFUSE TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES.
As it stands today, the whole idea of WHOIS has been completely destroyed for all practical purposes. It seems that almost every new domain registered today is completely redacted by default.
I view this as just one example of how various parasitic entities have twisted the domain and IP address-space management bureaucracy in recent years towards their own profit interests and against the interests of the public at large.
Just like the subject of the article we are commenting upon.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
