Mike,

You missed the point about businesses nad individuals. Businesses do not
have the right to the same level of privacy individuals do.

I don't see a need for bulk access to the database, but accessing records
for a single domain name is useful. Its useful to identify who the owner of
a domain name is, because without this it would be too easy for businesses
to undertake all kinds of practices by hiding behind a domain name. Lack of
such identification would be a significant disadvantage to consumers in
addressing unfair or illegal business practices on a website.

Its certainly useful on a day to day basis for the Internet industry that
deals with registrants, names and contacts daily.

Larry

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike [mailto:mjr§hydrocorp.com] 
> Sent: Wednesday, 6 April 2005 11:54
> To: dns§dotau.org
> Subject: Re: [DNS] Whois & Privacy
> 
> 
> Hi Larry,
> 
> I can see a reason to know if a name is available or if it is 
> not. I can't see a reason why anyone else apart from 
> Governmental Agency 
> under specific conditions should be able to access the database.
> 
> Are you on the Electoral Roll Larry?
> Under your home address?
> 
> Mike.
> http://whois.com.au/forums/
> 
> Larry Bloch wrote:
> 
> >I tend to agree with Kim.
> >
> >There is a valid reason for a publicly available whois 
> service. There 
> >are legitimate reasons why the owner of a name should be easily 
> >identifiable.
> >
> >By and large names are for the use of businesses, and privacy for 
> >businesses is an entirely different thing to individuals. I 
> would think 
> >that hiding email addresses for individuals has merit, but a 
> business 
> >is another matter.
> >
> >
> >To some degree, visibility and the resulting spam is a cost 
> of being a 
> >business with a publicly visible domain name. After all, if 
> you don't 
> >want to be contacted, what is the point of having the name 
> in the first 
> >place? (yes, I know - there are many other reasons). The 
> point is, if 
> >you have a domain name for your company and you have a website, most 
> >likely you publish contact details. Spam is a scourge, we all agree, 
> >but it's a 'cost' of having an email address. If you don't want spam 
> >that badly, don't use email.
> >
> >.AU deliberately removed telephone numbers and address 
> details as these 
> >were deemed unnecessary, but email details remained in whois as the 
> >least compromising contact details to provide. I am not aware of 
> >widespread abuse of the email addresses published in .au whois.
> >
> >Larry
> >  
> >
> 
> 
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