Whois Lookup: John Wayne came from Los Angeles, California. Huge enthusiasm grows inside him on the Internet since his discipline is Information Technology. Wayne lives at Maple Avenue of Montebello in Los Angeles. He completed his Graduation in IT from DeVry University. He is presently in quest of a suitable job. He already had an interview in a reputed Web Developer IT firm. But pessimistically he made a blunder and got the job nil. One of the interviewers queried him: Who is whois? He replied promptly: Sir, whiz is a shrill whispering sound of the wind. The board laughingly gave him a reminder: the word is not climatology; this is related to Web. So ashamed Wayne realized that he got puzzled suddenly due to lack of accent comprehension, he got his blooper. His musing was that he knew who’s who is anyone’s biography but for Who is – who is, which he only listens with the Interviewer’s question utterance, comes no sense to him if the word is, who is ‘whois’. Hence he applied Webster’s lexicography formula and he straight fell into the ditch. Whatever back home Wayne educated himself with Web, Domain, TLDs, Whois, ICANN so on once again. He was accustomed to these things earlier but he’s not later updated.
Whois Lookup: What Is Whois?
Now he learnt again that Whois, created by Elizabeth Feinler and her team in 1970s, is an Internet body which is responsive protocol being extensively applicable to querying Domain Name Systems or DNS databases containing relevant information of any registered domain and its owner, such as a domain identity, IP whereabouts and an autonomous system, website hosts, networking organizations as well as other relevant information. Whois is not an acronym but it denotes almost “Who is responsible for this domain name?” Whois’ motto is – Identity for everyone. ICANN’s motto is One World. One Internet. Both are American companies.
Wayne’s fiancée Cynthia Darla, upon phone chitchat in one fine morning, rushed his home, expressed her sympathy for not getting the job he preferred most. She assures him to find another good job in the future..
Darla asked: Is it the only question for which they didn’t select you?
Wayne replied: Yap, they didn’t explain but with a little grin, they told me – hope you’ll do better next time.
Darla told: I know you are updated before an interview.
Wayne responded: Nope, Darlie, I was ill, hence I couldn’t study before facing them.
Are you now studying: asked Darla.
Yap. For a couple of days I am going through these net stuff: imparted Wayne.
Darla asked again: Do you know Netizen and Webinar?
Yah, of course: replied Wayne with a smile, Netizens are frequent goers to the Internet, the portmanteau diction as Net+citizen and Webinar, the curtailed form of Web+seminar, is similarly arranged online. Darlie, everything, you may Google and get so.
Does Google know everything, enquired Darla?
Wayne replied: No, dear, Google’s 150 thousand computers raid over 3 million servers worldwide while anyone searches for any stuff If they don’t have any data, Google can’t show you, answered Wayne. I found some queries Google couldn’t display.
Darla asked: What about ICANN?
Wayne replied: ICANN stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. This non-government and non-profit corporation is responsible for allocating IP address space, protocol parameter assignment, root server system management functionality, domain identity system management and likewise.
Whois & ICANN
Darla: Are Whois and ICANN similar?
Wayne: Not exactly, they ain’t. Whois sounds who is, means they simply provide all the heck Infos the hunter asks for but they aren’t responsible for any of such and they even aren’t in management of IP & Domain name and space and similar responsible workouts. Counterwise, ICANN sounds as I can, meaning what you can, you don’t know but they can manage the above which Whois can’t. But Whois faces huge criticism as they leak out personal information to online information ocean.
Darla: But they don’t breach the privacy of domain owners.
Wayne: Such as…?
Darla: Such as password and security issues.
Wayne: Yes, No one could see the password except the domain owner. And they are helpless about this.
Darla: You know Whois is lambasted due to getting the domain data penetrated by the seekers but I think nothing could be kept hidden in this Internet Age if the data aren’t well-protected.
Wayne: Yap, honey, you are right.
Whois Lookup: Why Is Whois Public?
Darla: Why is Whois publicly vulnerable?
Wayne: The Whois database is publicly open to all for keeping domain registrants accountable. Otherwise, how can others get to know details on any website? There are lotta bad Companies.
Darla: What are its core functionalities?
Wayne: Functions’ core and the kernel that it supports is as follows:
- Basic domain management
- Keep records and verifies ownership of the domain identity and IP addresses.
- Provides scopes to the potential buyers and sellers to access domain information.
- Facilitate domain transference.
- Brand managers could utilize data from Whois to secure their intellectual property and to cross-check potential trademark infringements. Whois is the best source to trace out domain name similarities, duplications or copycats if any.
- Cyber Security agencies and researchers keep Whois’ Application Program Interface (API) (which is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications) for investigating & curbing cybercrime.
Darla: Great! Johnny, you already learned a lot. Now I think you would be bossing the interviewers. Staying now with you, I too am getting educated. Please, dear, tell me more about ICANN.
Wayne: Of course, Darlie. Philanthropist and great entrepreneur Esther Dyson being Founder Chairwoman, established ICANN, the acronym stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers with the management of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) under an agreement with the US Department of Commerce (USDOC) and in pursuant to a contract with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). This Company was incorporated in California, USA on 30 September 1998.
Whois Database Lookup: How It Works
Darla: Ok. Back to Whois. How does its Database work?
Wayne: Well, Darlie. whoxy.com sells a completely parsed database of Whois @ $ 5300 approx. containing more than 250 million domains only downloadable in CSV Format. So, the pivotal chore of whois is to track down and communicate a Web Site. The site or the blog in the asking may not possess contact form or any contact info relevant to it. Whatever, going through a website search providing the domain name, the Website registrant or at least related person stuck onto that very site could be found and some measures could be there as feedback. Have a look at this, if you search any existing domain name, you can get information as an array of Domain Information, Registrant Contact, Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Raw Whois Data. Now see how does Whois database work –
Whois Lookup: Why Do We Need It?
Darla: Oh, yes. Now I got it. You actually did mastermind job on this, sweet John! Anyway. why do we need Whois?
Wayne: Whois is a traceable online database that contains information related to domain name registrants, Website hosts, and networking organizations. At best these much you can get from them which may help you anyway.
Whois Lookup: Domain Info & Domain Owner lookup
Darla: Do we have a problem using Whois?
Wayne: Nope, buddy. You can straight go to whois.com, then search what you’re gonna seek. They are a safe and trusted site and established Company.
Darla: Do they charge any bucks?
Wayne: For information, you’ll not be charged even a nickel or dime. But if you wanna register any domain of any TLDs, then you have to pay as per their rules.
Darla: What are TLDs?
Wayne: The word TLDs stands for Top Level Domains. Actually Internet acronyms and abbreviations and online jargons are ostensibly so gravy, cryptic, serious and spell-bound that someone will be freaked out for a while. However, TLDs are domain hubs extensions like .com, .org, .net, .info,.gov, .edu, .us so on. Nowadays the total TLDs are 1528 almost and all these generic heck are being run by DNS overseer ICANN
Will Whois Steal My Information: Domain Privacy & Whois Guard
Darla: I see! Will Whois steal my information?
Wayne: How come! No, they won’t. They aren’t any hacker or even ain’t any spyware. Unless you click suspicious stuff of any criminal site, your handheld or desktop gizmos wouldn’t be infected. Whois and ICANN are trustworthy and safe. Go search 100% risk-free.
Darla: Do we need their services?
Wayne: Why not? Of course, we do. They are indeed helping us out. The reasons behind theirs are:
- Diminishing Spam
- Minimizing ID Theft
- Personal Views and Professional Information
- Control of Corresponding Information
- Concealing the Physical Location
- Hiding Website Ownership or Designing Party
- This costs none i.e. Inexpensive and after all the whole Internet is completely Digital Jungle; hyenas are elsewhere. Hence, you gotta keep your information secure. The domain name searchers have full discretion.
Darla: How much accuracy do they maintain?
Wayne: They have 99.99% accurate Infos as per the domain registrants’ details which they get from ICANN.
Darla: Why not rest 0.01%?
Wayne: Dear, you know we, humans aren’t super or supreme being. We are a middle-order animal. To err is human. So we must not be 100% accurate. Even a machine couldn’t do so since we operate them with our right and wrong mishmash data. Absolute accuracy is for the super or supreme being.
Darla: Are you talking about the Supreme Creator?
Wayne: Darlie, You know I am neither Atheist or Agnostic. And you too ain’t. But I don’t wanna hurt my Atheists friends. Whatever, we’d discuss this later.
Darla: Ok. Is there anything more to know about them.
Wayne: Yea. There are plenty of things – scribble-scrabble stuff jam-packed virtual ambiance but how much can we know about them? No more, my sweet love! Coz they aren’t much essential for the common ppl. Most of them for research works and bla bla bla.
Darla: Ok, Wayne. You got hard work this week I think. You got exhausted too! Today I will serve you brunch at Starbucks.
Wayne: Hey, Sweetie, you sat here a long while providing me accompany. I am supposed to treat you right away.
Disclaimer: Characters and events here are totally imaginary and don’t bear any link to any real incident and people. Resemblance to any real character or event would be a coincidence and writer and publisher bear no responsibility for that. Readers have full discretion.