Is WHOIS going to go away?

bzs at theworld.com bzs at theworld.com
Sat Apr 14 22:00:48 UTC 2018


On April 14, 2018 at 17:29 nanog at nanog.org (Aaron C. de Bruyn via NANOG) wrote:
 > So why are you proposing that I can't run my *personal*  "I strongly
 > believe in {insert emotionally-charged issue} site" without letting psychos
 > know exactly where I live?

I wasn't the one proposing but GDPR basically prohibits your
information from being exposed via WHOIS even if you would like it to
be exposed.

It's not difficult to hide your info, most registrars provide a free
or low cost privacy option so any inquiry just responds with
information about the registrar or some proxy service. Or you can
contract with your own proxy service.

THAT SAID, most countries require you to provide accurate and up to
date contact information if you are doing business with the general
public.

Thus this whole issue is really just a product of the trend towards
personal, non-business (vanity, etc) web sites.

Which itself is the result of inexpensive and ubiquitous always-on
internet connections and the rise of hosting services.

And points out something of a contradiction:

Prohibiting or severely restricting the publication of contact
information (WHOIS) while simultaneously requiring contact information
is made available (to the general public.)

Does anyone believe privacy etc will be enhanced by forbidding your
finding out who owns this domain you were directed towards by a search
engine?

Granted you may not get a satisfactory answer but then maybe you
choose not to do business with them, ok, your choice.

But what if the response is "SORRY BLOCKED BY GDPR"?

Do you do business with them? Or not?

-- 
        -Barry Shein

Software Tool & Die    | bzs at TheWorld.com             | http://www.TheWorld.com
Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: +1 617-STD-WRLD       | 800-THE-WRLD
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