Monitoring WHOIS searches !?

**ailon** · Nov 19, 1999, 06:50

Several weeks ago I was thinking of a domain name for my new project. I've done lots of whois searches. When I found one not taken I liked, I've started development on the project with that domain name in mind. Now after only few weeks I discovered that somebody registered the domain

Surely it's possible that it's just a coincidence, but it seems a bit strange that domain name nobody wanted for many years, became needed the same time I discovered it.
So, how do you think, is it possible that somebody monitors succesfull/unsuccessfull (don't know how to call it) whois searches ?

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Alan Mendelevich aka ailon
Visit MEGOPhotos - Quality photos for FREE

**webmagician** · Nov 19, 1999, 08:18

yup..the samething happen to me

However, that was about 6 months ago and now what i do is buy the domain name before the HTML work begins

There are whois scripts that allow the webmaster of the site you are searching to log the domain names that his/her visitors have searched.

Just remember: only do a whois search at a professional site. The only 2 i trust is networksolutions.com and register.com

But i just wrote a whois script for myself and thus protects my search

[This message has been edited by webmagician (edited November 19, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by webmagician (edited November 19, 1999).]

**plebius** · Nov 21, 1999, 15:47

I dont trust networksolutions. I recently used them to lookup the domain ihatetheworld.com which was available, and less than two weeks later it had already been registered, with the administrative contact email in @worldnic.net which is a domain owned by networksolutions. so, i guess somebody at networksolutions knew i looked for IHateTheWorld.com and decided to get it for themselves.

**vegas** · Nov 21, 1999, 19:05

I also have had the same thing happen. My once should have been website cheapervegas.com was snaked the day after and I was forced to throw an A in front of my domain.

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vegas
acheapervegas.com

**ailon** · Nov 21, 1999, 22:58

I didn't mentioned in the original post that I also did whois searhces through NSI.
May be it's time to start the flame against NSI around the world ?

Please, don't take me to the court

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Alan Mendelevich aka ailon
Visit MEGOPhotos - Quality photos for FREE

**tigertom** · Nov 22, 1999, 02:34

Same thing happened to me, recently. Either there are lots of people registering names all the time, or searches are being saved and registered to make a quick buck. With the drop in prices to do this, it's going to get worse.

If this is the case IT SUCKS, BIG TIME, and the perpetrators will BURN IN <edited>!!

(As you can gather, I'm not happy at having missed out on a good name).

If you think you want a name at all, register it there and then at Network Solutions. I'm not happy at how commercial their site has become either. Not re-assuring.

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TigerTom
Trade links ?
Go to ~>
<A HREF="http://www.tigertom.com/index.htm
" TARGET=_blank>http://www.tigertom.com/index.htm
</A>

[This message has been edited by jonese (edited February 22, 2000).]

**ailon** · Nov 22, 1999, 03:55

As I see from the responses to my question what happened to me really wasn't any coincedence

Don't you think we need to protest in some manner ? Or we'll need to hold a mouse pointer on a submit button in one window while doing whois search in another

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Alan Mendelevich aka ailon
Visit MEGOPhotos - Quality photos for FREE

**Hierophant** · Nov 22, 1999, 08:01

Considering 70,000 new domains are registered every day. All english dictionary names are exhuasted and the are domain brokers out there. You have to register a domain when you look it to see if its available. That is the only way your going to get anything suitable to use without paying big bucks to a third party.

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Wayne Luke

The Majormud Encyclopedia - www.bloodquest2.com
Come Play one of the hottest games on the net.

**webmasterexpert** · Dec 15, 1999, 23:33

I agree with Wayne. If you like it, just register it. I bet it was coincidence that someone else registered it.

I've registered about a dozen names, and have learned to just spend the $70 when I see something I like.

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http://www.webmasterexpert.com

**ailon** · Dec 16, 1999, 08:06

Since that happened I started looking at the posts regarding similar things on the newsgroups and forums and now I'm pretty sure that even if in my case that was a coincedence it's really happening. NSI or someone inside NSI is harvesting good domain names from whois searches done through NSI.

However I've registered the domain name articlecentral.com through the Joker and I like it more than the one I missed

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Alan Mendelevich aka ailon
New! ArticleCentral.com - The content directory for web professionals. Monitoring hundreds of web development related sites, daily.
Visit MEGOPhotos - Quality photos for FREE

**mkaufman** · Dec 20, 1999, 16:39

User: tigertom!!! SWEAR WORDS ARE NOT ALOUD IN THE FORUMS! Please take them out to avoid possibly being banned from the forums by one of the moderators!I know this is a little late, but I just saw it!

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Webmaster's Network

The best Webmaster related links, articles, reviews resources and more! NEW DOMAIN NAME!

**Plebius** · Dec 23, 1999, 18:53

I HATE THIS!
So the domain i want is available and i wait
2 days before i decide to register it and it
is GONE to some company that just tries to
resell them and from the looks of their site,
they want big bucks for it. There should be a law against buying a domain name just so you can sell it. Grrr... i also searched using NSI.

**qslack** · Dec 23, 1999, 20:29

Something strikingly similar happened to me--

I was looking for a domain...it was perfect. My site was on GeoCities at that point, so a domain was a huge step up. The domain was something like fourth dimension webmaster. I WHOISed it, and the next day it was gone. *poof* . Not even a dictionary word!

Anyways, it was _probably_ a coincidence. Oh well.

User: Matt Kaufman. Let Federico and Matt do the moderating...you've posted several times as if you were in charge of this forum.

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-Quinn Slack
http:/www.fourthdev.com has webmaster resources!

**WebKat** · Dec 23, 1999, 21:19

_Domain Auctions and Reselling_ is becoming the same unethical, but uncontrollable, issue that scalping of concert tickets has grown to be.

Lately on the Internet and Business in general _anytime_ there is a chance of making a quick $$ someone is going to do it!

As you can break any code, it has become necessary to register your business domain as soon as possible.

So many are accumulating domains in record numbers just as a future investment with no regard to anyone but themselves...They have no intent to build a business on the web.

But people are paying the big $$ for domains, so auctions are just going to continue...When they refuse to buy and use their creative minds for new domains, the auctions will end - classic supply and demand!

Greed is becoming business as usual...And I am so sorry to see this happen

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PPSV WebMaster otherwise known as "WebKat"
Professional Photographers of Sacramento Valley

**fairhousing** · Dec 24, 1999, 08:06

it's a coincidence not a conspiracy.

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I GOT NOTHING TO SAY

**Pointerz** · Dec 24, 1999, 14:40

Time to clear the air. Remember that domain names are "one of a kind" items. We have serveral domains and although we were lucky on more than one occasion when we didn't register or reserve the domain name on the same day that we found it. More than likely that was pure luck...on our side.

One last thing to consider, since there are 2 different ways to grab your domain name from Network Solutions: Registering ($70) and Reserving ($119). If you are just "Reserving" the domain, since you are not giving technical information to Network Solutions: a @worldnic.net email address will be listed for you in WHOIS.

Bottomline...if you find a domain name that you like - Register it!

Matt Mickiewicz · Jan 9, 2000, 16:30

There's no point in paying NetSol $119 to park a domain, since you can do it for free at DomainValet.com .

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http://www.webmaster-resources.com
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Chicken · Jan 29, 2000, 06:13

Pointerz is incorrect. If you register with Networksolutions, the admin contact info is the info you typed in when you register (NOT @worldnic ). So this makes me think that there is a possibility that NetSol registered the domain internally (someone there).

Also. an interesting thing to consider when using domainbank and the other registrars. If two people register the same domain at the same time (one at Domainbank, one at NetSol), who do you think would process it faster and get the name?

Well, a name that was "unavailable" at Totalnic (meaning registered), came up "available" doing whois searches. SO I registered it at NetSol kinda expecting that I would get something back saying it was registered or in the process of. Nope- I got it!

Who knows how long ago the person registered it at Totalnic, but it might be something to think about.

**smcausland** · Feb 9, 2000, 18:35

Hi All,

An interesting way to do whois searches was pointed out to me recently on another discussion form. If you got to http://www.analogx.com and use their whois ultra it will search for the domain name you request and several variants(the example i tried showed sixty or so variations). This way even if someone internally at the company is monitoring searches the won't know which one of the variations you were actually looking for.

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Enter to win a free candleholder http://www.pinc.com/~flashflood

**WebRunner** · Feb 9, 2000, 19:46

You're right, the Ultrawhois available from analogx is a great tool. You can also go to betterwhois.com.

In either case, they search all the whois databases.

I will never register at Network Solutions again. No, not because they are priced too high, but because there customer service is the worst.

Last week I registered 5 awesome domain names at orderyourdomain.com for $24 each. Customer service was great.

I advise all my clients to first make up a whole page of possible domain names they like before they even begin searching to see if they are available. As soon as they find the best available one take it.

I totally believe there are squatters who monitor the Whois searches and register the best ones themselves.

-Webrunner

**stevek** · Feb 20, 2000, 14:31

I just did a little test... i will get back to you with the results in a few days =)

Free Email @ www.email.ky

**ailon** · Feb 22, 2000, 00:58

LuZeR: I think the problem is not in payment but in updates of NSI database. When I registered my domain I've received several emails asking to pay a lot after I really paid (at the moment of registration).

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ArticleCentral.com - The content directory for web professionals.
MEGOPhotos - Quality photos for FREE.

**temis** · Feb 22, 2000, 08:30

I agree with everyboy who says: if you like it - register it. If later you find that you don't need/want that domain name anymore you can always put it up for sale, and trust me, there are people who are willing to pay good money for a decent domain name (from personal experience).

I also try to register all three 'dots': com, org, and net. Based on availability, of course. Just recently I registered a domain for my company (web-ok.com) and all three dots. Just to be on the safe side...

**Plebius** · Feb 22, 2000, 11:56

What annoys me and what i don't understand is that somebody snatched they domain I wanted up 2 months ago and they are trying to sell it, but according to http://payments.networksolutions.com they still have not paid for the domain. How is it that you can sit on a domain for 2 months without paying for it because I would sure like to know.

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"Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one." -A.J. Liebling
You DO own one. the plebius press

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