Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

cooley.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 163 posts

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#51

Post by greglindahl »

ktosobcy wrote: post #47
jedberg wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. I get a ton of spam because of this. However, I'd rather have this system than one in which all the owners are secret. I've had to look up owner information before to contact owners of various properties, and havin…

Is that a US thing? I understand that having some registry with this information is needed (but maybe not with details down to taxation) but... having it behind some officials "firewall" would solve that?

What problem are you trying to solve? The problems that having an open land and property tax register solves are problems like finding fraud, money laundering, tax cheating, better valuation of properties for bank loan purposes, and so forth.

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#52

Post by ktosobcy »

greglindahl wrote: post #51
ktosobcy wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that a US thing? I understand that having some registry with this information is needed (but maybe not with details down to taxation) but... having it behind some officials "firewall" would solve that?

What problem are you trying to solve? The problems that having an open land and property tax register solves are problems like finding fraud, money laundering, tax cheating, better valuation of properties for bank loan purposes, and so forth.

Why would YOU have to do it? For me it's enough that officials have access to this information (and common folks when requested, but with valid motivation). And as a result I don't have problems with my identity being out in the open (and I don't get a single spamy mail)

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#53

Post by jkaplowitz »

freeone3000 wrote: post #35
mort96 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do any registrars not charge a premium for Whois privacy? I know Hover doesn't have a separate Whois privacy entry price, but the base price at Hover seems to be about the price of a domain + Whois privacy at other registrars.

You could just lie. Only the contact email really matters, and those are anonymously-routable already.

In practice, this will usually work, but it does violate ICANN rules. If this ever gets enforced, likely due to a disgruntled party making a complaint, it could backfire.

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#54

Post by tyrust »

jedberg wrote: post #34
kbar13 wrote: post #2

domain registration data is in a weird place for the modern internet. I can see the value of having a real registry when it was first developed, but now it seems like a pretty easy way for people to shoot themselves in the foot with regards to privacy. Also, some registrars charge a premium for WHOIS privacy. It should not cost extra to have your legal name and address to be hidden from the entirety of the internet.

When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. I get a ton of spam because of this. However, I'd rather have this system than one in which all the owners are secret. I've had to look up owner information before to contact owners of various properties, and havin…

>I think it is a good thing that every domain has valid contact info.

Does your "valid" include domain registrars that provide WHOIS protection that includes forwarding messages to the protected owner?

And, honest question, why do you think that domains should have contact info?

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#56

Post by rubicon33 »

jedberg wrote: post #34
kbar13 wrote: post #2

domain registration data is in a weird place for the modern internet. I can see the value of having a real registry when it was first developed, but now it seems like a pretty easy way for people to shoot themselves in the foot with regards to privacy. Also, some registrars charge a premium for WHOIS privacy. It should not cost extra to have your legal name and address to be hidden from the entirety of the internet.

When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. I get a ton of spam because of this. However, I'd rather have this system than one in which all the owners are secret. I've had to look up owner information before to contact owners of various properties, and havin…

> When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year.

Uh, really? Where?

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#57

Post by woolvalley »

rubicon33 wrote: post #56
jedberg wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. I get a ton of spam because of this. However, I'd rather have this system than one in which all the owners are secret. I've had to look up owner information before to contact owners of various properties, and havin…

> When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. Uh, really? Where?

It's a US or at least California thing. In many countries this is not reality.

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#58

Post by woolvalley »

jedberg wrote: post #39
dictum wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> However, I'd rather have this system than one in which all the owners are secret. I don't mean to be cynical, but isn't this system also the one in which some people simply register their houses under a shell company?

Yes, but at least the shell company forwards on the messages. And most people don't do it because it's a hassle.

And you lose a 250-500k capital gains exemption if you sell the house and it's not owned & lived in by you directly AFAIK

The issue with this system is it also lets people look up where you live by name alone, which can be bad if you want to own your house and have a stalker problem. The map works 2 ways.

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#59

Post by oliwarner »

I don't understand the problem. When buying a domain you do so in ICANN's jurisdiction, under their terms. Actively and voluntarily forfeiting your right to privacy should trump statutory privacy.

And if that isn't enough, ICANN can fix this without compromise. One mass email. "Respond expressly allowing us to publish your PII, or lose your domain."

Re: WHOIS blackout period likely starting in May

#60

Post by oliwarner »

rubicon33 wrote: post #56
jedberg wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. I get a ton of spam because of this. However, I'd rather have this system than one in which all the owners are secret. I've had to look up owner information before to contact owners of various properties, and havin…

> When you buy a house, your name and the purchase price are public information. Any one at any time can look up who owns a house, how much they paid for it, and how much they pay in property tax every year. Uh, really? Where?

UK too.
Post reply on HN