[thechat] WHOIS & public info?

[Sean G.]

Howdy,

Just to pick a side of the argument with a 'ripped from the headlines'
reference...

Recently two teenage girls were kidnapped.  This was pretty well publicized in
the main stream media in the USA (and perhaps else where).  Stories included a
lot of details on the victims including names.

After they were rescued, police discovered the girls had been sexually
assaulted.  Most main stream media in the USA have a policy against reveling
too much personal information, including names, of victims of sexual assaults.

At that point, the names of the girls was public knowledge.  Even if today's
story was about two anonymous teenage girls, it wouldn't be hard to make a
connection to yesterday's story about Veronica and Daphne.  Yet most media
outlets stopped using the girls' names in their coverage.

Yes, WHOIS data is considered public knowledge and is readily accessible to
anyone with an internet connection and a tiny bit of know-how.  Doesn't make it
right to further publicize that information, or use it in an unseemly manner.

IMHO,


Sean G.



>-----Original Message-----
>Hugh wrote:
>
>>  > And thinking about it further, I, a person who makes it a practice
>>>  not to make my home address public, when I look up my domain info, I
>>>  see my (previous) home address listed.
>>
>>And you haven't updated it?
>
>hell no.  Actually, I may update with my work address.  I don't have
>a PO box and I prefer not to be so easy to find.  Previously, I'd put
>in my street but no numbers, for the same reason.  (I don't recall
>what inspired me to give them my real address last time.)
>
>I rely on email for notifications.  Seems to work okay.
>
>>Anyone with two brain cells touching can find this information.
>
>actually, there are tiny spaces between brain cells and messages are
>carried by neurotransmitters... I wonder if they touched, would they
>short out?
>
>>Public WHOIS is a hot topic in the industry. Answers are not quickly
>>coming, but changes may happen. May. Opt-out for some information is
>>probably what will happen in the next year or so. May.
>
>