4 ms·

The idea is good but they need to have both an "about" page, contact info, and remove the privacy on their whois. [1] If they aren't willing to disclose who the

by larrys 12y ago

The idea is good but they need to have both an "about" page, contact info, and remove the privacy on their whois. [1] If they aren't willing to disclose who they are I would have a problem with hiring them. [2] There is no reason for the business that they are in that they can't act like a business. [1] Use a business address, a po box, a relatives address or anything "legitimate". Cloaking in this case is just a turnoff. [2] I hire people to do things that I could use this for.

adventured 12y ago
I don't quite get the thinking behind not revealing that information for a commercial service. It's really not ok, regardless of if it's an mvp product, there are still minimum requirements. Two days of effort would get you to a basic presentation polish (privacy policy, terms, about, and more elaboration on the financial / payment side of things), along with a PO Box.
- larrys 12y ago
  Many registrars have sold people on using whois privacy to "protect yourself against hackers and spammers". [1] Many end users either buy this argument or simply parrot what they see others doing (or not doing). There are legitimate reasons for privacy but as a general rule if you are a business it's a big mistake. On this page [1] it states that you will also "protect yourself from telemarketer". Well I am here to tell you (I also run a registrar that doesn't even offer privacy btw) that with thousands of domains under management we get perhaps 1 or 2 phone calls per week. And if we were to use a google voice number that wouldn't even be an issue. (Yes, thousands of domains ...) [1] https://www.name.com/whois-privacy https://www.name.com/whois-privacy
  - reustle 12y ago
    > Many registrars have sold people on using whois privacy to "protect yourself against hackers and spammers". I simply don't want to put my home address on the internet, and have no office address to use.
    - xorcist 12y ago
      Why? What is the threat model here? It's not like some serial killer is known to use random whois data. Your home address might already be "on the internet", in the form of the phone book. I don't know if it seems alien to you, but it's an honest question. The first thing I did when I got Internet access was to put my contact info in my finger banner. When I got web access I put up a "home page" with my contact info. It's been there since, and I think it's a feature that people can contact me if they want.
      - TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
        I had an eBay transaction go very wrong. Foolishly I used my real email and domain for communication, with a very WHOISable home address. When the physical threats started I had to get the police involved. There's also the issue of pseudonymity. If I work on a lot of different projects, I don't necessarily want everyone to know about everything I'm doing with everyone else. This doesn't mean I ignore NDAs and share sekrit stuff - I most certainly don't. But I've freelanced in the past, and some employers have strange and unrealistic expectations about how much exclusivity they're buying. This isn't hypothetical. In the past I've been told "You absolutely can't work for anyone else if you freelance casually for us." Really? How about "no"? Also it's better for free speech. I can express opinions freely with online privacy. I don't necessarily want those opinions to be associated with - say - a startup I'm creating. Generally, contact info is a problem. It's actually mandatory for UK companies to include a business registration number and an office address. (I'm not sure how many UK devs know that.) Problem is, when you can incorporate in Delaware or Kiev, physical contact details start to become meaningless anyway. My rule now is that contact is easy if there's a networking, customer care, or community-building benefit. But privacy is a fine thing too. Being able to pick and choose is best of all.
        xorcist 12y ago
        All of these are examples of the need of multiple on-line identities. You wouldn't use your main email for two projects or two employers that you don't want to know each other. Surely someone you freelance for has your address already? Your primary address probably has traces of your real identity all over the Internet, including orders from eBay and others, so an adversary could dox you in an instant anyway. Especially if you use it for work related things. So why not make it easy to contact you?
- nostrademons 12y ago
  I bet that if they actually get e-mails for orders, then in a week it'll have that presentation polish and a PO box. If they don't get orders, then they've saved themselves two days.

by larrys 12y ago

adventured 12y ago

I don't quite get the thinking behind not revealing that information for a commercial service. It's really not ok, regardless of if it's an mvp product, there are still minimum requirements. Two days of effort would get you to a basic presentation polish (privacy policy, terms, about, and more elaboration on the financial / payment side of things), along with a PO Box.

larrys 12y ago
Many registrars have sold people on using whois privacy to "protect yourself against hackers and spammers". [1] Many end users either buy this argument or simply parrot what they see others doing (or not doing). There are legitimate reasons for privacy but as a general rule if you are a business it's a big mistake. On this page [1] it states that you will also "protect yourself from telemarketer". Well I am here to tell you (I also run a registrar that doesn't even offer privacy btw) that with thousands of domains under management we get perhaps 1 or 2 phone calls per week. And if we were to use a google voice number that wouldn't even be an issue. (Yes, thousands of domains ...) [1] https://www.name.com/whois-privacy https://www.name.com/whois-privacy
- reustle 12y ago
  > Many registrars have sold people on using whois privacy to "protect yourself against hackers and spammers". I simply don't want to put my home address on the internet, and have no office address to use.
  - xorcist 12y ago
    Why? What is the threat model here? It's not like some serial killer is known to use random whois data. Your home address might already be "on the internet", in the form of the phone book. I don't know if it seems alien to you, but it's an honest question. The first thing I did when I got Internet access was to put my contact info in my finger banner. When I got web access I put up a "home page" with my contact info. It's been there since, and I think it's a feature that people can contact me if they want.
    - TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
      I had an eBay transaction go very wrong. Foolishly I used my real email and domain for communication, with a very WHOISable home address. When the physical threats started I had to get the police involved. There's also the issue of pseudonymity. If I work on a lot of different projects, I don't necessarily want everyone to know about everything I'm doing with everyone else. This doesn't mean I ignore NDAs and share sekrit stuff - I most certainly don't. But I've freelanced in the past, and some employers have strange and unrealistic expectations about how much exclusivity they're buying. This isn't hypothetical. In the past I've been told "You absolutely can't work for anyone else if you freelance casually for us." Really? How about "no"? Also it's better for free speech. I can express opinions freely with online privacy. I don't necessarily want those opinions to be associated with - say - a startup I'm creating. Generally, contact info is a problem. It's actually mandatory for UK companies to include a business registration number and an office address. (I'm not sure how many UK devs know that.) Problem is, when you can incorporate in Delaware or Kiev, physical contact details start to become meaningless anyway. My rule now is that contact is easy if there's a networking, customer care, or community-building benefit. But privacy is a fine thing too. Being able to pick and choose is best of all.
      - xorcist 12y ago
        All of these are examples of the need of multiple on-line identities. You wouldn't use your main email for two projects or two employers that you don't want to know each other. Surely someone you freelance for has your address already? Your primary address probably has traces of your real identity all over the Internet, including orders from eBay and others, so an adversary could dox you in an instant anyway. Especially if you use it for work related things. So why not make it easy to contact you?
nostrademons 12y ago
I bet that if they actually get e-mails for orders, then in a week it'll have that presentation polish and a PO box. If they don't get orders, then they've saved themselves two days.