[Rt4-whois] Centralized Whois Query system run by ICANN - Scope and concerns

[Kathy Kleiman]

All,
Is this the current version of the Lutz proposal now in circulation?  I 
thought it applied only to a centralized database of the current "thin 
registries," namely .COM and .NET. If so, I can see the advantages and 
support sending it out as a recommendation  in the draft report.

But if this is a single database of all registries, thick and thin, now 
and in the future, I think we creating a database problem. It's an 
enormous amount of data and creates a focal point for abuse, for 
warehousing, etc. It's the type of policing job that ICANN has never had 
to do, and is not operationally set up to do.

So thought summary:  If ICANN is helping remedy a bad situation by 
operating a single registry for .COM and .NET to fix a historical 
problem, I think I am OK for now (pending review of the draft with 
registries -- after publication is fine). One database of all Whois 
information to Rule the World, not so good.

RECOMMENDATION EDIT:

Detailed recommendation:
   ICANN should set up a dedicated, multilingual website to allow
   "unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS
   information" **FOR .COM AND .NET, THE EXISTING "THIN REGISTRIES"** even for those people which have problems with the plain
   WHOIS protocol.

   The WHOIS information should be collected by following the thin WHOIS
   approach starting at whois.iana.org. The service should display the
   contractural relationships which are revealed by the WHOIS referals in
   a clear and understandable way. The results should be mark clearly the
   relevant information "including registrant, technical, ** DELETE BILLING** billing, and
   administrative contact" data.

** NOTE: Billing data, which includes credit cards Folks, is simply not 
displayed in any other Whois search results. It is only registrant, 
technical, and admin contact.**

Best,
Kathy


> Proposal:
>
> Summary:
>    ICANN should set up and maintain a web interface to access
>    all the WHOIS services in order to ease access to the WHOIS data.
>
> Presumption:
>    The AoC requires that "ICANN implement measures to maintain timely,
>    unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS information,
>    including registrant, technical, billing, and administrative contact
>    information."
>
> Observation:
>    An User Insight Report came up with the following results:
>     + Almost nobody is aware of whois
>     + Almost nobody is able to query a whois server correctly
>     + Whois queries were done on websites which occur first in the search
>       engine results. Usually those pages are overloaded with advertisments.
>
> Detailed recommendation:
>    ICANN should set up a dedicated, multilingual website to allow
>    "unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS
>    information" even for those people which have problems with the plain
>    WHOIS protocol.
>
>    The WHOIS information should be collected by following the thin WHOIS
>    approach starting at whois.iana.org. The service should display the
>    contractural relationships which are revealed by the WHOIS referals in
>    a clear and understandable way. The results should be mark clearly the
>    relevant information "including registrant, technical, billing, and
>    administrative contact" data.
>
>    The server needs to be run by ICANN itself, because the "timely,
>    unrestricted and public access" is usually rate limited, stripped or even
>    blocked by the various WHOIS server administrators for uncontractual
>    third party access. ICANN itself is the only party having the power to
>    overcome those limits using its contratual compliance.
> _______________________________________________
> Rt4-whois mailing list
> Rt4-whois at icann.org
> https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/rt4-whois


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