# Domain Registration and Privacy



## Gonk the Insane (Sep 21, 2016)

Hi all,
I received an email from my web-hosting and domain name registration provider (Dreamhost)today. They have always had an option for domain registration to keep your WHOIS details private - essentially replacing them with their own. As I don't particularly want a ton of spam, I've always quite liked this option, but the email I received suggests though that this is changing, and they posted a blog entry about it here. It all seems very odd, and I wondered whether anyone else has experienced anything similar? Is this something likely to be happening elsewhere, or should I be considering switching to a different provider?


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## Vertigo (Sep 22, 2016)

I think one of the reasons this is changing (and I believe it is universal not just your provider) is that the very privacy options you are using to try to hide from the spammers are amongst the very tools the spammers use to hide themselves. I'm no expert, though, so I may be wrong.


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## Nate Hoffelder (Nov 2, 2016)

It doesn't sound like a big deal:
dreamhost.com/blog/2016/09/18/dreamhost-domain-privacy-update/

I've never bothered with  the privacy options. Yes, i get spam but Gmail takes care of it.


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## Jo Zebedee (Nov 2, 2016)

I never bothered about spam but having my address posted on twitter by a troll was another thing - they got it by my domain registration


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## Nate Hoffelder (Nov 2, 2016)

My address is on my website, so hiding it on the domain registration would be pointless.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 2, 2016)

Always a good idea to separate business and personal email addresses. If you own your own domain it's usually fairly simple to set up two email accounts for these.


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## Jo Zebedee (Nov 2, 2016)

Nate Hoffelder said:


> My address is on my website, so hiding it on the domain registration would be pointless.



Which is fine if you're comfy with that. I'm not. My name is memorable - and in a lot of places - and I have kids living with me. I don't want people I don't know finding my address. It might be a female thing - I think personal safety is drummed into us more - but I don't want it freely available.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 2, 2016)

Jo Zebedee said:


> I don't want it freely available.



Just a heads up for anyone running business interests from home that such information is freely available from Companies House. I learned the importance of having my registered address at my accountant's.


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## Gonk the Insane (Nov 2, 2016)

Jo Zebedee said:


> It might be a female thing - I think personal safety is drummed into us more - but I don't want it freely available.


Nope, I don't think it's a female thing, or at least not just that. I'd call it a sensible precaution.


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## Jo Zebedee (Nov 2, 2016)

Brian G Turner said:


> Just a heads up for anyone running business interests from home that such information is freely available from Companies House. I learned the importance of having my registered address at my accountant's.


I accept that if someone wanted to find my address they would (although I am not a limited company so not registered with companies house) but I at least want to get them to expend SOME effort


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## Gonk the Insane (Nov 2, 2016)

I think it's a relatively recent thing, but there are now options - perfectly legal ones - where you pay a company some money and they hold the registration of your company, act as the offical registrar with Company's House, and also serve as your mailing address/mail forwarding service. When I was trying to decide whether to use a pen-name or not I looked into it because it all seemed a bit pointless in using a pseudonym if I was setting up a small business - rather than doing it as a sole trader - and my real name (you got me, there's no "the" in my name) and address ended up out there anyway.

Of course, no system is 100% perfect, but it would make it harder to track down the real you; there'll always be that one person who has a very particular set of skills...


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## Stuart Suffel (Nov 2, 2016)

Brian G Turner said:


> Always a good idea to separate business and personal email addresses. If you own your own domain it's usually fairly simple to set up two email accounts for these.


In my experience your details for reg with a host server require your visa card and therefore include the address linked to that card. I had to pay for privacy option. But if that option is removed, well, tis a strange set of affairs. 

In terms of a regd business, yes that option is open (accountant's address) but for the casual website owner, not so much.
Re Op, I'd shop around for sure, see if it's the same with other host providers.


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## Vertigo (Nov 3, 2016)

Gonk the Insane said:


> I think it's a relatively recent thing, but there are now options - perfectly legal ones - where you pay a company some money and they hold the registration of your company, act as the offical registrar with Company's House, and also serve as your mailing address/mail forwarding service. When I was trying to decide whether to use a pen-name or not I looked into it because it all seemed a bit pointless in using a pseudonym if I was setting up a small business - rather than doing it as a sole trader - and my real name (you got me, there's no "the" in my name) and address ended up out there anyway.
> 
> Of course, no system is 100% perfect, but it would make it harder to track down the real you; there'll always be that one person who has a very particular set of skills...


I have had three limited companies over the years; the first in 1986 and I've always used my accountant's address as the registered address (on his advice), so I don't think it's a recent thing, I think it's always been an option.


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## lynnfredricks (Nov 22, 2016)

The problem with privacy is that it also protects scumbags who are hiding their identities so as to make it harder to track them down and serve them with DMCA take down notices for stealing my work.


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