Private Domain Registration info ?

[DavidH]

Hi All,

I was looking at a domain registration site and noticed an optional fee to have your registration information (name, address, email, phone number) private. Do any of you use this feature or have any opinions on it?

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

peace
DavidH

[Adam]

My opinion on private DNS registrations is that if you are going to use it, it shows that you have something to hide. If you have something to hide, then you aren't trustworthy or trusting enough for my business. Of course, the only DNS info that I've ever looked up was from spammers anyways, and I always don't trust them... so realistically, someone making their registration info private wouldn't affect their customers (if I'm at all like a typical customer).

The people who sell the private DNS registrations tell you that it is to keep spam down to a minimum. Honestly, it doesn't affect spam one iota, since there are far, far more sources of email addresses than people's DNS information... and what is the most common contact address on a DNS entry? "webmaster @ example.com"... so spammers don't bother to look at the DNS for fresh supplies of emails.

If you want to spend the extra money to stop a couple of hypothetical spam attempts, then go ahead. Honestly, I don't see the point.

[icesar]

There's other ways to privatize your DNS information. For example, I use my business name and a PO Box. There are good reasons to go private, such as security issues, so I don't hold anything against private DNS info. My biggest worry (or annoyance) with non-private DNS info is that your email is available to all, and posted online, so you better have a good spam filter.

My domain name company, namecheap.com, provides free WhoisGuards with every registration, so I say why not?

[DavidH]

Thanks for the input Adam and icesar!

peace
dave

[Lawliet]

I've always used this feature... for the simple fact that anyone on the internet who knows you and knows you have the website can get your phone number and address. It doesn't automatically make you a crook. :s

[ellie]

Originally Posted by Lawliet

I've always used this feature... for the simple fact that anyone on the internet who knows you and knows you have the website can get your phone number and address. It doesn't automatically make you a crook. :s

I use it too for that reason.

[uberblue]

I use it too. Mostly because the registrar I use offers the service by default and for free and because I've found that it does cut down on spam and junk mail. One of my older domain names has my parent's address associated with it still and I get domain registration junk mail there.