Posted by Rick [Rick] on September 19, 1999 at 00:33:29 {fTw1Eeptvg7mY4XD8K2cFMFBt36Xyc}:
We often get emails "how did you do it?" from friends who were curious as to the true identities of the Australian site holders of the HOURGLASS2.ORG domain name.
First of all, unlike online accounts like on America Online, domain names like HOURGLASS2.ORG are an open book to the owner of the domain. At least, that is the case for most people who register and assume their name, address, phone and fax numbers are maintained privately. The Internic authority for domain names is one of the few corporations that doesn't protect its customer's identities, addresses or phone numbers from public consumption. Further, the government exempts them from privacy laws that ordinarily prevent online services from divulging this information.
I suggest you save this post in a file, because it contains procedural instructions for controlling your own domain name -- and the owner information displayed using WHOIS -- using the Internic's web tools on their site.
Some of you might not appreciate this information being posted, because they might feel I'm circumventing the built-in "punishment factor" that is meted out to those who they feel use domain names "dishonestly." I also appreciate that this might seem like it's giving newcomers the necessary tools to "out" those who already have made mistakes. However, this information actually serves to help those who have made mistakes expedite the change of their information, and at the same time educate others contemplating using domain names to share their faith as Jehovah's Witnesses to the world.
When selecting a domain name, you choose from the following:
.ORG = Organization web site
.COM = Commercial web site
.NET = Network web site
First, go to this address and check to see if the domain name you wish to use is already taken by someone else:
http://www.networksolutions.com/
Next, select the WHOIS Search link, and type in the name of the domain name you wish to check. For example, suppose you want the following words to comprise your domain name:
Kingdom Good News
You would want one of these domain names:
KINGDOMGOODNEWS.COM
KINGDOM-GOOD-NEWS.COM
Go to the above address, select WHOIS Search link, and type in one of these domain names. If the domain is not found then it is likely free for you to use. You can these proceed to select the link Get a Web Address to register it.
http://www.networksolutions.com/dotcommail/
Kingdom Good News
NOTE: Not your name, but the name of your domain with spaces to form something that looks like a company name.
Cyberpass Anonymous Community
8415 La Mesa Blvd. Suite 3
La Mesa, CA 91941
US
NOTE: This is the company name and address of our ISP
Kingdom Good News
kingdom487@aol.com
618-444-3322
Fax - 618-444-3323
NOTE: This is YOUR real email address, and the same name as you used for the registrant (or owner of domain). The phone number and fax is the REAL numbers of your ISP. NONE OF THESE NAMES OR NUMBERS ARE REAL, BUT MUST BE REAL WHEN YOU REGISTER.
Hostmaster
hostmaster@aol.com
618-444-3322
Fax - 618-444-3323
NOTE: Find out the name of your ISP's techical contact for the Internic to contact if there are any problems with your domain in the future, get their email address, and use your ISP's phone numbers. This is not the real hostmaster of AOL, I made this up. NONE OF THESE NAMES OR NUMBERS ARE REAL, BUT MUST BE REAL WHEN YOU REGISTER.
Kingdom Good News
kingdom487@aol.com
618-444-3322
Fax - 618-444-3323
NOTE: This is YOUR real email address, and the same name as you used for the registrant (or owner of domain). The phone number and fax is the REAL numbers of your ISP. NONE OF THESE NAMES OR NUMBERS ARE REAL, BUT MUST BE REAL WHEN YOU REGISTER.
NS1.INFONEX.NET 209.75.197.2
NS2.INFONEX.NET 209.75.197.3
NS.C2.NET 140.174.185.246
NOTE: These are the domain servers for HOURGLASS2.ORG at our ISP. Your ISP's domain servers are, of course, different. Get this information from your ISP when registering.
The following WHOIS Search listing of HOURGLASS2.ORG will result for your domain after registering.
Registrant:
Hourglass 2 Outpost (HOURGLASS2-DOM)
Cyberpass Anonymous Community
8415 La Mesa Blvd. Suite 3
La Mesa, CA 91941
US
Domain Name: HOURGLASS2.ORG
Administrative Contact:
Outpost, Hourglass (OH17-ORG) h2o@HOURGLASS2.ORG
619-667-7969
Fax- 619-667-7966
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Hostmaster (HOS12-ORG) hostmaster@INFONEX.COM
619 667-7969
Fax- 619 667-7966
Billing Contact:
Hostmaster (HOS12-ORG) hostmaster@INFONEX.COM
619 667-7969
Fax- 619 667-7966
Record last updated on 02-Nov-97.
Record created on 11-Apr-97.
Database last updated on 18-Sep-99 04:33:15 EDT.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.INFONEX.NET 209.75.197.2
NS2.INFONEX.NET 209.75.197.3
NS.C2.NET 140.174.185.246
I've actually heard horror stories that in order to change the above information, ISP's have told registrants of domains they must send a NOTARIZED request to the Internic! Technically, this is true, but there is a way around this. I have personally gotten around this myself, and I speak from firsthand experience.
Get the Internic's telephone and FAX numbers off of their web site (see above link). Fax a request using business-letter format, using a word processor like Microsoft WORD for Windows. Use the letterhead template and make it look businesslike:
Letterhead centered at top of 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of paper, using the "company name" you selected that is similar to your domain name, your REAL home address and REAL home phone number, printed on laserjet or high quality printer (ideally) such as:
September 18, 1999
Network Solutions
[street address on their site]
[city, state and zip on their site]
Dear Sir/Madam:
[Body of your letter to Network solutions.]
Sincerely,
sign your real name
Your Real Name
KINGDOM GOOD NEWS
Obviously, you will FAX this letter to the Internic's fax number given at their site. If you don't have a fax machine, they are usually less than $200 for a basic one. Alternately, use your PC's fax software to fax your word-processed letter.
The body of your letter will depend on what you need them to do.
First, you will try to use their web site to change your information. This is done starting at this link to Make Changes:
http://www.networksolutions.com/makechanges/
Next, you will receive an email either stating that your changes were applied, or that you're not using the correct email address. You must have sent the electronic text-form you copied from the Internic's site, with your changes in name and address to reflect the above, from the same email address listed as the billing and/or technical contact.
All the instructions are at the above link to Make Changes to the account information publicly displayed for your domain name. Basically, these instructions will tell you to:
1. Copy and paste a customized change-form they give you into a new email message;
2. Fill-out the form with the information you wish to change:
3. Send the form to the email address as instructed at the Internic's web site; their "wizard" takes you through the entire process from start to finish.
4. If you get an email accepting your changes, perform a WHOIS Search for the next few days until you see that your information has indeed changed.
5. If you get an email rejecting your changes (usually because they claim you are sending email from the wrong address), then compose a professional looking letter to the Internic as illustrated above. The body of the letter should contain your explanation that you were unable to change the information, and include a copy of your email-form with your changes. Include a fax cover page generated by your fax software, or create a fax coverpage and print it out if sending the fax using a fax machine. You can create a fax cover page by putting the word FAX centered at the top of the page in large 24pt typeface, then in the middle of the page put:
FAX
Date: _______________
To: ___________________ Fax: (___) __________
From: ____________________ Fax: (___) __________
Number of pages (including this one): ________
Subject: _____________________________________
Message:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Print this coverpage out (if using a manual fax machine), fill it out, and in the message write the words "See attached." This seems wasteful to those who haven't corporate-type faxes to companies, but the cover page helps to separate your fax from the hundreds of other faxes (so your fax doesn't get mixed together with the pile of other faxes coming in over the Internic's fax machine).
Include your letter, and a printout of your email with the change-form you filled out, with this cover page, and fax it to the fax number given on the Internic's web site. Make sure you find the fax number on their site that is designated for domain name correspondence and billing problems, or similar inquiries. Also, check current requirements for proving your identity. When I changed information after having a problem with their online system recently, a signed cover-letter sufficed.
Before faxing: I suggest first calling the Internic at their number first, telling them your problem (that you cannot change your domain information using their automated email system), and tell them you are about to fax the information. Call them back to make certain they received the fax, and followup in a few days.
Final Goal in Changing Account Information
From your own email address, you should be able to send text forms (pasted into the body of your email), with the information you wish to change as part of the form. The results of your change should be visible within a day or less, after you receive an acknowledging email from the Internic's automated bot.
It's important to carefully read their instructions on how to generate a form on their site, because their automated software scans your email and looks for the exact form with correct format. The form is all text of "ASCII" and doesn't include any bolding or other fancy formatting. You simply substitute your old information (i.e., name and address) on the form, with new information, and email the form to the address given on their web site.
Not getting a notice of payment is no excuse. Mark your calendar, and periodically go to Registration Payment Options link at the Internic's web site, and enter your domain. If it says "already paid," then you are fine. If it displays an invoice, then you know that your yearly payment is due.
My understanding is that billing information is confidential. What you control displayed to the public, as described herein, is separate from your private billing information. There are even methods of password protecting your account to prevent others from stealing your domain that are described at the Internic's site, although this assumes you fear someone will (a) get into your email account, and (b) hijack your domain by using your own account to send illicit instructions to the Internic.
I hope this information helps you take control of your domain, and not let it control you, and not let it reveal more information to the public than you choose to have revealed!
Rick
In Reply to: Domain Names For Dummies posted by Rick on September 19, 1999 at 00:33:29:
Footnote
The rule of thumb is that everything publicly displayed for your domain name -- the "company" name you choose, your ISP name and their address, and your ISP's phone number and email address -- should not point to you with one exception!
That exception is, that you MUST include your REAL email address in the Administrative and Billing Contact fields of the WHOIS form! This allows you to make further changes (such as, if you change ISPs or even change your email address), using commands you send from your email account.
The system accepts commands sent from your email account, if the sender address in the email header matches the email address on your domain registration for the Administrative and Billing Contact fields. (The Technical Contact field should contain the email address of your ISP's administrator.)
Bottomline: the only method anyone can identify you, if you fill out this information correctly, is through your email address. This should be a special email address you setup with an ISP that respects your privacy, and will not divulge your identity. Of course, this is true of the ISP you choose to list for your address.
NOTE: You can also use a postal drop or post office box as the address, with a "company name" you devise to use in place of your real name. The problem with this is that it will reveal the city you live in, making it easier for others to guess your identity. However, in some big metropolitan areas this shouldn't matter.
Rick