| It is easy to find out who owns a website. Simply do | | | | or junk snail mail. Neither can telemarketers grab your |
| a WHOIS search on the website name. Name, | | | | number and call you on the phone. This alone is |
| address, city, state, zip and sometimes even a phone | | | | reason enough for private registration. |
| number will be returned. | | | | - Control what you reveal - By using private domain |
| Procuring a private domain registration is one way in | | | | name registration you control what you reveal. Since |
| which to protect yourself from unsolicited snail mail | | | | the third party information will appear in a WHOIS |
| and telemarketers. The following advice is primarily | | | | search of your site, you can then control what |
| for individuals and not for businesses. | | | | information you want to reveal on your own website. |
| Private domain registration provides: | | | | Private registration is sorta like opting out of the |
| - Identity Protection - When you register a domain | | | | phone book. |
| name with a private registration, the registry details | | | | - Keep your website private - By registering privately, |
| such as name, address and phone number are | | | | your website can remain anonymous. OR you can |
| replaced by those of a third party. This third party is | | | | give your website its own persona or you can |
| usually a separate company that is operated by the | | | | choose to tell users what you desire based on your |
| domain registrar for the sole purpose of offer | | | | own comfort level. |
| privacy. You still remain the domain owner, the | | | | - Affordable - with the low price of domain names |
| domain registrar is simply acting as a proxy. | | | | these days, adding a few extra dollars won't break |
| - Spam Protection - Once your real identity has been | | | | the bank. I have typically seen private domain |
| covered by the third party, your personal details are | | | | registrations as low as $4 but never higher than $8 |
| not available. Spammers cannot send you spam email | | | | or $9. |