Advantages and Disadvantages of Whois

Whois is an internet protocol that allows anyone to make a query regarding any domain name from the database of Whois.

Advantages
The services from Whois can be run via a Whois web server. People from any part of the world can join a Whois server to send a query. After sending a query, the Whois web server will reply back and then will shut down the connection. Whois server can be operated by any person. For instance, a business firm can operate a Whois server which offers details about the company’s different sectors and also about the employees of those sectors too.

But most people of today use it to check about a particular domain name. Checking the availability of a domain name is one such process that is carried out by more number of people, before they opt to register a domain. Whois provides the exact information about a particular domain name.

The user can also easily find out the information of a domain such as the exact date of the registration of the website and the contact information of the owner and lots more, by just searching it in the Whois search bar. It also helps the user to know the network or name of an IP address.

At first, Whois search was made in a command line surrounding. Still these types of searches can be performed using the command line, however it has become easier to visit the more websites that consist of Whois protocol and enter the domain name or IP address to know the exact details.

If the domain name is owned privately, Whois database shows the name, telephone number, contact address, and email address of the owner of that particular domain name. If the domain name is possessed by a business firm, then the name of the company, email address, contact address and telephone number are provided as the information. Other fields such as technical administrator, domain administrator are also shown. The date of expiry of the registered domain is also shown.

Public domains can be easily verified by anyone after registering the domain with a domain name registrar. This helps to know whether the domain name registrar is actually done with the registration process or not.

Disadvantages
Originally, Whois was started to offer an index to the domain owners. However, this information available in public has helped some spammers to make use the contact information and also the email address to spam people easily. The databases of the Whois directory now consists of a condition that these personal details should not be used for any illegal purposes; however most people don’t follow this rule.

Most of the Whois websites have started to include a script wherein the user has to fill it up with the required fields. Bots or other such similar things can never read such graphic displays and therefore this particular process helps to stop results made out of automated queries. But still, there is no way to punish people who are abusing or making use of the information to spam the domain owners in real.

Image Credit

When choosing a good registrar, a good control panel is a pre-requisite as is the case with helm control panel and with protected domains registration from godaddy

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