RE: [registrars] Ballot Request: Adopt as Constituency Position

["Clint Page" <cpage@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I could not agree more with Bruce on this topic.

Clint
Dotster, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-registrars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-registrars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Bruce Tonkin
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 4:45 PM
To: registrars@xxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [registrars] Ballot Request: Adopt as Constituency Position


Hello All,

> 
> Removal of the expiration date from the Thin Whois seems 
> contrary to what users look for and are most concerned about. 
> Users check this field to know when to renew their domain by. 

This was a major improvement when we did this in Australia for .au.   It
significantly reduced the level of renewal scams.

We are only talking about not making this public to everyone.

I don't know other licence models that publish the expiry date.  The
expiry date of my drivers licence is not available to everyone.

It actually helps registrars (and their resellers) as it encourages
customers to check with their supplier regarding expiry dates.   

The expiry date is usually available via:
- the initial registration welcome email/certificate
- via logging into the customer system provided by the ISP, reseller,
registrar

Resellers, ISPs etc would still have access to the data provided by
their registrars through the appropriate secure interface.

If a registrar wants to make the expiry date public - that should be up
to them.

I as a registrar don't want to publish this date as it is the major
source of data used in renewal scams.

At the time we made the change in Australia - there were complaints from
ISPS etc that were using the public WHOIS for expiry information - but
this was quickly resolved by getting them to use the secure interfaces
provided by registrars especially for that purpose.

Likewise we had complaints when constraints were placed on the number of
WHOIS queries that could be made.  It turns out that many queries were
for the purpose of checking domain name availability.  This was quickly
resolved by providing an appropriate public interface for checking
availability that did not have constraints on query rates.

So in summary - I support removing the expiry date from public access.


Regards,
Bruce