Do you know "WHOIS"?
By onedollar
@onedollar (781)
Belgium
October 10, 2007 2:57pm CST
There is lots you can tell from a simple whois command.
WHOIS is an interesting command for you to know as it can tell you lots of things about a site:
So what is WHOIS?
It is used for querying a database in order to determine the owner of a domain name, an IP address, or an autonomous system number on the Internet.
On Mac or Linux you can fire up the commandline also called terminal and type whois sitename (for example "whois dreamclix.com")
On Winblows of course you can't do something that simple (LOL), so use a website like http://www.whois.net
Why is it interesting?
It is because it allows you to see that for example Dreamclix.com and Clixmania are owned by the same guy or that Clixmedia and ClixDaddy are of the same person. Or it can tell you if a new Bux clone is registered on the same site as a scam site.
For example you quickly find out that the scam Aglocomails is hosted by getpaidsolutions.com a site known for hosting many scamsites. They even offer readymade scripts to setup bux clones. This should ring a bell. Also it reveals "WhoisGuard Protected" so the owner hides behind a layer of protection in order not to reveal his or her true identity.
So use WHOIS to check who you are doing business with!
2 responses
@spiderman05 (851)
• Canada
10 Oct 07
That is why it is always recommended for individuals to choose private registration whenever they buy a new domain name. Companies like go Daddy seem to have noticed the importance of private registration and hence they now charge more for this option than for the domain itself, in some cases.
@onedollar (781)
• Belgium
10 Oct 07
I think private registration is also giving potential scammers a way to hide themselves. I think it should not be allowed.
@spiderman05 (851)
• Canada
11 Oct 07
Maybe that is another rationale to make it more expensive. Scammers buy thousands of .info domains as they are cheap ($0.99 a year), though they will not afford to add the privacy option ($8/year) for all those web sites.
On the other hand, many people are self-employed and use their real name, home address and phone number when they register a domain and for sure they do not want that information to fall in the wrong hands. It all depends from which side you look at it.
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