Hi everyone!
I want to do a website, but I'm afraid of that "WHOIS" thing that states that my personal info will be posted for anyone to see.  I only want what I post on the website to be seen, I don't want: where I live, my personal phone number and stuff like that to be seen by just anyone.  I was informed that I can purchase extra security so that won't happen (See note below of what I'm talking about) and to tell the truth I'm a little nervous and a lot scared.  Does anyone know anything about this?  Can some of you who have website help me out. Sorry but all of this is new to me.

NOTE:
"Did you know that when you register a domain, your name, address, email address and phone number are immediately made available to anyone who wants to see them? That's right. Your personal information is exposed 24 hours a day, everyday, to anyone, anywhere.

You have the power to change this. With a private ("unlisted") registration through Domains By Proxy® (our affiliate company), registering a domain name doesn't mean sacrificing your privacy."


Thanks,
Angel


PS:
If I posted this in the wrong place can some one move it please.

When you buy a .com domain name, buy an 'ID protect' policy as well. The internet registry for domain names *must* have an address, etc. for who bought the domain name, but most domain name registrars offer an ID protect thing so that your private info does not appear on this list. Of course, whoever you buy the domain name from, they will still have your information in their databases, but that's with any online purchase.

I bought a .com domain for about $US 15, but the ID protect is much more expensive - worth it though.

Don't panic - just be informed when you go to buy, and make sure you check whether you need to make two purchases. Quite often, a domain name and an ID protect policy are two different products, and ID protect isn't included when you buy a domain name.

If it's any help when I set up my web site www.henryringmaster.com I used my at the time work number and a PO Box address.

Now I no longer work were the number points to but the PO Box address and email are all still valid.

So all I'm trying to say is just give the information you are happy with, is there an alternate address you can use like a place of work?

Regards

It is true that you have to provide this information to register a domain and that it is "public" by default.  I personally think it is a scam that they charge to "keep it secret" and do not bother with the ID protection. Heck a persons phone and address is pretty much public anyway.  I do use a unique email address when I register a domain simply because it well get tons of spam emails and it makes it easier to filter the spam.

Henery is correct you do not have to give you home address and phone.  You can use a P.O. box and alternative phone number if you want. In fact when it comes to a phone number I normally put n/a. Not sure if that works with every registrar but it does with mine.

The sites I've looked at charge an additional US $6.00/year per domain name registered to keep your private info confidential - which is about 50% of the domain registration fee itself, if not more. I have moved a few times since I first registered some of my domains, but I have been conscientious about keeping the info updated.

Back in the early days of the Internet it seemed like people were less concerned about hiding their whois info, but these days it is much more common to see people use the proxy services. I guess it really depends on how much it bothers you. It's much cheaper to register domain names than it used to be, so maybe it's worth it to you to pay a few extra dollars a year. Shop around and find the best deals - there are many registrars to choose from, and competition for your money is strong.

My 2¢

Ron G.

Wow, only $6 US? Over here I've had to pay about 10 times as much for ID protect. Who did you buy yours from?

Wow, only $6 US? Over here I've had to pay about 10 times as much for ID protect. Who did you buy yours from?

I've never bothered with buying domain anonymity myself, though I did check out the cost at a few of the big registrars here. The fact that you have a "dot-a-u" (".au") top level domain obtained locally might account for the higher prices, Na. Here in the US the market for domain registration is much more competitive, and if you had a "dot-com" (".com") TLD you might be able to do it more cheaply - but I'm no expert on the subject.

 

Ron G.

No, the dot au domain names are for businesses in Australia. You must be a government-registered business to have one, and your details can't be hidden, as your business info must be provided (that's not to say that you can't use a PO box as the address anyway). My dot com on the other hand has ID protect on it, and it was expensive compared to yours.

No, the dot au domain names are for businesses in Australia. You must be a government-registered business to have one, and your details can't be hidden, as your business info must be provided (that's not to say that you can't use a PO box as the address anyway). My dot com on the other hand has ID protect on it, and it was expensive compared to yours.

I understand that the ".au" TLD is for businesses in Australia, and your "Puppets in Melbourne" web site's URL's TLD is ".com.au." You mentioned something about buying a ".com" domain for approximately US $15, which isn't too bad. Is that TLD one that is just ".com," with no ".au" attached? Did you get it from an Australian registrar? Who was it that charged you $60 for the ID protect?

I can't find the ones I was looking at before, but here is a site which charges $10 a year for ID protect...

http://www.lowpricedomains.com/id-protect.php


This one has it for $8.00 a year...

http://www.rwgusa.net/domain_names.htm


I found those after 30 seconds of Googling. If you can, you might want to switch domain name registrars when your current ".com" registration is about to expire - though not all registrars offer it, apparently.

My 2¢

Ron G.

The .com.au costs me about $30AUD per year, with no ID protect on it. The .com one costs me about $13AUD per year, with about $AUD50 going towards ID protect. They're both through mdwebhosting.com.au. I used to have hosting from them too, but they're pretty shit, and when it comes time to renew I'll probably move registrars. - I'm pretty happy with my host, so I'll probably move to them.