[ga] FYI Fwd: [ NNSquad ] New Low! Network Solutions Now Selling Ads on WHOIS

[Joe Baptista <baptista@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Subject: [ NNSquad ] New Low! Network Solutions Now Selling Ads on WHOIS
To: nnsquad@xxxxxxxxxxx



           New Low! Network Solutions Now Selling Ads on WHOIS

             http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000507.html


Greetings.  I had to perform a WHOIS domain search a few minutes ago.
Since it led to a dot-com address hosted at Network Solutions I didn't
necessarily expect to find much of value.  As you may recall, Network
Solutions routinely claims all manner of rights and restrictions over
WHOIS use.  They also constantly are pushing private registrations in
a manner that morphed from a legitimate service for occasional use
into a routine haven for spammers and phishers, and a risk to network
stability.

But never mind all that for now.  I accessed WHOIS through my local
command line interface, since I just wanted whatever facts were
available, not all the decorations.  Imagine my surprise when I was
greeted with what amounted to a "This Space Available For Rent!"
promotion along with the listing.

I can't find the exact date that this got started, but I haven't heard
anyone mention this before -- and the press release I dug up looks
very new.  Given the volume of WHOIS searches I do, I'm sure I would
have noticed this earlier if it hadn't just gotten going.

Network Solutions has turned WHOIS into their own creepy version of
the "Yellow Pages" directory.  Here's what I actually found stuffed in
the middle of current WHOIS listings:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Promote your business to millions of viewers for only $1 a month
Learn how you can get an Enhanced Business Listing here for your domain
name.
Learn more at http://www.NetworkSolutions.com/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The actual Network Solutions Press Release makes it clear that NetSol
now considers WHOIS to be a "value proposition" that they've
transformed from its traditional role "which has no marketing value."
Oh, by the way -- take a look at the actual URL for the press
release -- see the funny characters in there?  NetSol stuck a "registered
trademark" character after their name in the URL!  Isn't that just too
cute?  And the URL won't work if you remove the mark -- I just
checked.
( http:
about.networksolutions.com/site/network-solutions%C2%AE-launches-enhanced-business-listings/)

In fact, they're actually pushing both their ad service and private
registrations at the same time -- suggesting that you can hide your
administrative address from the public but still promote your
business!  I kid you not.

I won't belabor this here, except for one point, one question, and a
thought.

First, the continuing pattern of WHOIS mutations is an utter
perversion of what WHOIS is supposed to be, and is putting key
information critical to the continued stable operation of the
Internet, and protection of consumers, more and more out of reach.

And secondly -- I'd appreciate it if someone with a deeper
understanding of the contractual relationships between NetSol (and
other registrars for that matter), ICANN, and the Department of
Commerce would confirm for me that Network Solutions' deployment of
this service is entirely within the bounds of legality.  In fact,
let's apply this test to all registrars and their handling of WHOIS,
not just NetSol.

Finally, as a thought experiment, if NetSol's latest ploy is legal,
what can we do to change that state of affairs or otherwise get WHOIS
back onto the track of being an open and free, useful and accurate
resource for the global Internet community -- not a cash cow being
promoted as a cloak for the unscrupulous.

Enough is enough of WHOIS exploitation.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
  - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com




-- 
Joe Baptista
www.publicroot.org
PublicRoot Consortium
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