<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><div>For your information, please find below a blog post from Margie Milam in relation to Whois Accuracy. Please note that the pilot study will be further discussed during Monday's All Things Whois Session (see <a href="http://la51.icann.org/en/schedule/mon-whois">http://la51.icann.org/en/schedule/mon-whois</a>).</div><div><br></div><div>Best regards,</div><div><br></div><div>Marika</div><div><h1>What's Up with <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr>? </h1><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style u-text-xxxl"><a title="LinkedIn" target="_blank" href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&winname=addthis&pub=ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89&source=tbx32-300&lng=en-US&s=linkedin&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fblog%2Fwhat-s-up-with-whois&title=What%27s%20Up%20with%20WHOIS%3F%20-%20ICANN&ate=AT-ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89/-/-/543aabd43b830f7f/2&frommenu=1&uid=543aabd44d2e65e2&ct=1&pre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fblog%3Flanguage%3Den&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha" class="addthis_button_linkedin u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a><a href="https://www.icann.org/news/blog/what-s-up-with-whois#" title="Facebook" class="addthis_button_facebook u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b"><i class="fa fa-facebook"></i></a><a href="https://www.icann.org/news/blog/what-s-up-with-whois#" title="Tweet" class="addthis_button_twitter u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a title="Sina Weibo" target="_blank" href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&winname=addthis&pub=ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89&source=tbx32-300&lng=en-US&s=sinaweibo&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fblog%2Fwhat-s-up-with-whois&title=What%27s%20Up%20with%20WHOIS%3F%20-%20ICANN&ate=AT-ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89/-/-/543aabd43b830f7f/3&frommenu=1&uid=543aabd439220ece&ct=1&pre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fblog%3Flanguage%3Den&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha" class="addthis_button_sinaweibo u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b"><i class="fa fa-weibo"></i></a><a href="https://www.icann.org/news/blog/what-s-up-with-whois#" title="Email" target="_blank" class="addthis_button_email u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b"><i class="fa fa-envelope-o"></i></a><a href="https://www.icann.org/news/blog/what-s-up-with-whois#" class="addthis_button_compact u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300m"><i class="fa fa-plus"></i></a><div class="atclear"></div></div><div id="_atssh" style="visibility: hidden; height: 1px; width: 1px; position: absolute; z-index: 100000;"><iframe src="https://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/sh175.html#" style="height: 1px; width: 1px; position: absolute; z-index: 100000; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; left: 0px; top: 0px; " title="AddThis utility frame" id="_atssh584"></iframe></div><div class="EmbeddedHTML">
<p>After several years of reporting on the status of <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr> related activities, I have good news to share. <em><abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr> Accuracy Rates are slowly improving</em>, as reflected in the latest <a href="http://whois.icann.org/sites/default/files/files/accuracy-reporting-pilot-prelim-10oct14-en.pdf">Preliminary Findings paper</a> [PDF, 668 KB] published today by the National Opinion Research Council (NORC) at the University of Chicago.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that there is still more work to be done to bring up accuracy rates. After examining nearly 100,000 <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr> records, NORC's Preliminary Findings highlight important observations regarding the Pilot Study:</p>
<ul>
<li>Operationally, Registrars under the 2013 <abbr title="Registrar Accreditation Agreement">RAA</abbr> have more accuracy for email addresses than Registrars under the 2009 <abbr title="Registrar Accreditation Agreement">RAA</abbr>;</li>
<li>New gTLDs have slightly better operational email accuracy rates than prior gTLDs;</li>
<li>Prior gTLDs have more operational accuracy on telephone numbers,
but the two groups are equal on operational postal address accuracy.</li>
</ul>
<p>The <a href="http://whois.icann.org/sites/default/files/files/accuracy-reporting-pilot-prelim-10oct14-en.pdf">Preliminary Findings paper</a>
[PDF, 668 KB] describes the analysis conducted by NORC, after
collaborating with intergovernmental and private sector firms. Relying
on expertise from the Universal Postal Union, the UN agency responsible
for coordinating global postal policies, and commercial service
providers such as StrikeIron, DigiCert and Whibse, NORC applied the
latest technology available to validate email addresses, telephone
numbers and postal addresses to varying degrees, each at a syntactical
and operational level. This expertise is reflected in the methodology
adopted by NORC in assigning the different accuracy rates described in
the Preliminary Findings paper.</p>
<p>The purpose of the Pilot Study is to test assumptions using real
data. The methodology can be adjusted based upon the consultations in
Los Angeles, as well as the public comments received. <a href="http://whois.icann.org/sites/default/files/files/accuracy-reporting-pilot-prelim-10oct14-en.pdf">The paper</a> [PDF, 668 KB] is published for the LA Meeting to demonstrate how <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr>'s <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr> Accuracy Reporting System (ARS) is being designed.</p>
<p>The ARS, when fully developed, will produce periodic accuracy reports
to enable you to track whether policy changes or changing contract
terms produce measurable improvements in accuracy. It will also include a
feedback mechanism where potentially inaccurate records are forwarded
to registrars for action and it will include a tracking mechanism to see
if the records are appropriately updated. A full study report, with
updated findings and statistics, will be published for Public Comment
following the <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> Los Angeles Meeting.</p>
<p>Join us in Los Angeles at the <a href="http://la51.icann.org/en/schedule/mon-whois"><em>All Things <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr> Session</em></a>
to explore these findings in detail, as well as to share your
perspective on how the ARS should be developed in the future. The
session will also cover the <a href="http://whois.icann.org/en/file/final-recommendations-implementation-status-08oct14-en">latest developments</a> related to <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr> Improvement activities, and it will explore the future of <abbr title="WHOIS (pronounced "who is"; not an acronym)">WHOIS</abbr>, in light of the Recommendations of the <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/gtld-directory-services-2013-02-14-en">Expert Working Group (EWG) on <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Directory Services</a>. To learn more about the EWG's Recommendations from their <a href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/final-report-06jun14-en.pdf">Final Report</a> [5.11 MB], a series of <a href="https://community.icann.org/display/WG/EWG+Multimedia+FAQs">short videos</a> have been recorded to answer key aspects of their <a href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/final-report-06jun14-en.pdf">Final Report</a> [5.11 MB].</p>
<p>We look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles.</p></div></div></body></html>