Whois Privacy

[Roo]

Could Crucial or any experienced webmasters provide advice on privacy issues relating to domain name registration.

I do not want to loose control of my domain but I also don't want my home address and phone number publicly available. I want to comply with the requirements of registration as I don't want to risk the registration being cancelled.

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

PS: Is it poor form to use an email address from the domain registered, something like hostmaster@mydomain.com?

[Greg-Mega]

Not really poor form as long as it's an active address... They key address that will hurt you would more than likely be the email address against the billing of the renewal of registration which is a totally seperate system provider specific system.

I do not know if Crucial offer this service however some providers offer private registration options on domain names (eg. Go Daddy) this could be something of interest to you (I highly doubt that this is available for ***.AU TLD's though).

I've never really needed the above service being that my business has a PO Box so I just use that (and let all the Domain Name Registrar of America letters go there :-P).

Godaddy private registrations: Private Domain Registration

[elysian]

I'm not aware of 'private registrations' being offered by any .au registrars, although it might be out there.
There are less than 30 registrars for .au - you could contact each of them and ask them.
Or just get a PO Box and use that as your address.

Putting hostmaster@ for the registration email is fine, as long as its active, as Greg said. The only issue with putting any email address from the domain in question as the registration email is, if the registration has problems you may not be able to get the emails to restore it... but hostm@domain1 for domain2 and hostm@domain2 for domain1 is absolutely fine.

If you have a registered company owning the domains you don't even need to put your name, you can put something like 'the manager' (this does not apply, I believe, to Sole Traders)

[subzero]

Using .au domain they have not added a hidden whois services.

for .com, .net, .info, .mobi, any other domain top larval domains has hidden whois services

But thats is not free some make you pay $5 to $1 aussie cash.

if your planding to hide your info please check with ICAN services center for more info about this issue .