Whois Or Not To Whois

I don’t think scrapping the whole whois database is a good idea. No matter why you want it scrapped.

Tech industry lawyer Mark Bohannon frequently taps a group of searchable databases called Whois to figure out who may be behind a Web site that distributes pirated software or tricks visitors into revealing passwords.

Like a “411″ for the Internet, Whois contains information such as names and phone numbers on the owners of millions of “.com” and other Internet addresses. Bohannon and his staff at the Software and Information Industry Association rely on the free databases daily in their efforts to combat theft and fraud.

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Nonetheless, some privacy advocates are proposing scrapping the system entirely because they can’t agree with the people who use the system on how to give domain name owners more options when they register — such as designating third-party agents. Privacy advocates say individuals shouldn’t have to reveal personal information simply to have a Web site.

The so-called “sunset” proposal is expected to come up Wednesday before a committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, a key Internet oversight agency.

I always use Domains By Proxy when registering my domain names so my personal information is kept private. What do you think? Is too much personal information required to register domain names? Do you think the Whois database should be scrapped?