Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

runningbird · 02-01-2009, 05:57 AM

I could probably figure this out, but could someone tell me off the bat - can someone find out my identity with my google adsense and amazon affiliate links?

I don't really care at this point but in the future it might be nice to know if I am creating a public image.

ginkgo · 02-01-2009, 07:13 AM

I do not think that they can do it in a normal way. If you do not know how to do it, then they do not know. A hacker that is good enough can hack into your computer and do anything.

seeker5 · 02-01-2009, 07:25 AM

I did a whois check on who owns your domain name, and this is what it came up:

Whois.Net

Is that you? If that's your real name and real address and contact info, then you're definitely not anonymous. Furthermore, any forum where you go and use advertise your website can find out who you are too by looking at that record.

When you buy a domain, the info you put into buying a domain name becomes public record that anyone can pull up. That's what I pulled up. If you want to have that be secret, so you can be anonymous, you need to pay extra at some service provider so that their name goes on that record, while they have a contract with you stating that the domain really belongs to you, and that they are just holding it publicly for you.

ginkgo · 02-01-2009, 08:04 AM

If you own a domain name, they can look it up as above wheather you have Google Adsense and amazon links or not. With Yahoo.com you can pay them extra extra to have the owner of your website unlisted.

SimonaRich · 02-01-2009, 11:10 AM

I could easily found out your name and address and everything from whois. You can pay your host to put whois privacy. I did that because I do not want people to know my home address.

But your about page does not contain any info about you. It is sometimes good to put a pic and tell something about yourself because people reading your content are interested to know more about you.

Brutha · 02-01-2009, 02:17 PM

If you have a website that you use commercially it will often be possible to get your address and you shouldn't expect to be completely anonymous.

If you are indeed the person in that whois listing you won't be able to get completely anonymous since that whois report will stay there and the web doesn't forget.

runningbird · 02-01-2009, 02:46 PM

That's my name. Thanks for linking to it and not actually posting it in here.

Is there a way someone could search my name though and find out that I write that blog, rather than vice versa?

Brutha · 02-01-2009, 03:19 PM

Yes, there are whois registers that allow you to search for all domains that are owned by a specific person (I think you need to pay something to access that feature however).
An extensive background search on you would reveal your blog.

TropicThink · 02-01-2009, 04:54 PM

Name.com offer free private whois. I get most of my domains there.

Also, if you have more than one site, do know that people can often figure out what OTHER sites are yours by checking you 'IP neighbours,' your AdSense code etc. To remain anonymous on the web is not always as easy as most people think.

runningbird · 02-01-2009, 05:06 PM

well thanks for the info, I'm definitely glad I discovered this now and not after I posted about...who knows what

Lauxa · 02-03-2009, 07:50 AM

You can look at this too:
Domains by Proxy®

runningbird · 02-03-2009, 02:37 PM

I might look into that,thanks.

02-01-2009, 05:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	Is my blog anonymous? I could probably figure this out, but could someone tell me off the bat - can someone find out my identity with my google adsense and amazon affiliate links? I don't really care at this point but in the future it might be nice to know if I am creating a public image.

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02-01-2009, 07:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
ginkgo Banned Join Date: May 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA Posts: 3,747	I do not think that they can do it in a normal way. If you do not know how to do it, then they do not know. A hacker that is good enough can hack into your computer and do anything.

02-01-2009, 07:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
seeker5 Family Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,606	I did a whois check on who owns your domain name, and this is what it came up: Whois.Net Is that you? If that's your real name and real address and contact info, then you're definitely not anonymous. Furthermore, any forum where you go and use advertise your website can find out who you are too by looking at that record. When you buy a domain, the info you put into buying a domain name becomes public record that anyone can pull up. That's what I pulled up. If you want to have that be secret, so you can be anonymous, you need to pay extra at some service provider so that their name goes on that record, while they have a contract with you stating that the domain really belongs to you, and that they are just holding it publicly for you.

02-01-2009, 08:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
ginkgo Banned Join Date: May 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA Posts: 3,747	If you own a domain name, they can look it up as above wheather you have Google Adsense and amazon links or not. With Yahoo.com you can pay them extra extra to have the owner of your website unlisted.

02-01-2009, 11:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
SimonaRich Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London, United Kingdom Posts: 912	I could easily found out your name and address and everything from whois. You can pay your host to put whois privacy. I did that because I do not want people to know my home address. But your about page does not contain any info about you. It is sometimes good to put a pic and tell something about yourself because people reading your content are interested to know more about you.

02-01-2009, 02:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
Brutha Family Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 8,749	If you have a website that you use commercially it will often be possible to get your address and you shouldn't expect to be completely anonymous. If you are indeed the person in that whois listing you won't be able to get completely anonymous since that whois report will stay there and the web doesn't forget.

02-01-2009, 02:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	That's my name. Thanks for linking to it and not actually posting it in here. Is there a way someone could search my name though and find out that I write that blog, rather than vice versa?

02-01-2009, 03:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
Brutha Family Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 8,749	Yes, there are whois registers that allow you to search for all domains that are owned by a specific person (I think you need to pay something to access that feature however). An extensive background search on you would reveal your blog.

02-01-2009, 04:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
TropicThink Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 73	Name.com offer free private whois. I get most of my domains there. Also, if you have more than one site, do know that people can often figure out what OTHER sites are yours by checking you 'IP neighbours,' your AdSense code etc. To remain anonymous on the web is not always as easy as most people think.

02-01-2009, 05:06 PM	#10 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	well thanks for the info, I'm definitely glad I discovered this now and not after I posted about...who knows what

02-03-2009, 07:50 AM	#11 (permalink)
Lauxa Family Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,545	You can look at this too: Domains by Proxy®

02-03-2009, 02:37 PM	#12 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	I might look into that,thanks.

Personal Development for Smart PeopleTM Forums

Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums