Beware Domain Searching at Network Solutions!

[J-Mac]

If you search for a domain at Network Solutions and don't register it immediately, Network Solutions reserves it and will sell it to you at their inflated price.  Just like we always thought....

PC Mag Security Watch Story

DomainState.com broke the story here.

Network Solution's first response - they're "protecting" you from other's grabbing the domain you might want!

Nice, huh?  Creeps.

Jim

[jgpaiva]

Let's all search for a bunch of stupid domain names on their site (like aksdjhhvooosnnif or kioaoppxiucunt or akkujcmmfosp) to make them spend money in vain!

(don't tell me: they don't spend money reserving them)

[f0dder]

Nasty creeps.

The organization ruling the .dk domain, www.dk-hostmaster.dk, allows you to do domain searches/lookups for free... and you can bet they don't do any nasty trickery. Doesn't every TLD have an official + professional organization like that? :/

[Renegade]

Sigh... Why do some people feel it necessary to be complete pricks in the way they run their businesses?

Here's my proposal...

I'll write a nice little mini web browser / tool that will do nothing but silently sit in the tray and run random automated queries to Network Solutions so that you can protect random domain names from evil Front Runners!

I need 2 things from people though:

1) Some kind of anonymous surfing proxy to hide IP addresses -- please let me know of a free one (not necessary, but would be useful)
2) Enough interest/people that want to be pricks back at NS (why bother if nobody wants to reserve domain names)

This would have numerous benefits for everyone involved.

1) It would ensure that random domain names are protected from evil Front Runners
2) It would protect innocent idiots with too much money from purchasing random domains at reasonable prices, and force them to pay more for awesome domains like "www.sudfhaiovbeivbdsivbaifquwfc3dg48wfdefl.com" or "www.randomwordsconcatenatedtogether.com"
3) This would be a super cash winfall for Network Solutions as people rush to snap up fantastic value-added $35.00 domains.
4) With a random word concat feature, it would ensure that everyone once in a while, a legitimate domain would be denied to someone who would otherwise succumb to the evil wiles of technology -- we're saving souls here you know...
5) You'd get to reserve thousands of domain names for yourself!
6) You'd protect domain names from being purchased and possibly being used! (Some domains are used for bad things --- you can help stop this!)
7) You'd protect the domain names from terrorists!
Network Solutions would be helping fight the war on terror!
9) You'd be creating jobs and fighting child hunger!
10) Eventually, this would lead to a cure for cancer...

Ok - I'm starting to stretch things a bit at the end there... So, anyone want to start saving the world?



Edit: Looks like they're not doing it anymore from a quick test... Not sure... I'll still do it if anyone's interested though...

[Deozaan]

Renegade, I'm sure that there are people here and on the forums the story originated from who would be very happy to run your little program.

[Veign]

You can always use my Ultra Fast Whois:
http://www.veign.com/tools/whois/

A quick and easy way to see the status on a domain.

[tinjaw]

Yeah! Yet one more reason for me to keep hating Network Solutions with every cell in my body. They have been crooks and cheats since day one. I believe the only reason people still use them is they don't know there are alternatives.

[J-Mac]

Just back at my PC.  A lot of cute ideas here!  (Hehehe!)

For my first web sites I used Register.com and they were OK for awhile.  But they ticked me off so I dumped them.  Moved everything to Dotster and they've been pretty decent.... so far!

I also refused to use Network Solutions since my first site - seemed like they always had the most complaints all over the web.  Of course they were the first and largest and I had to take that into account.  But when I saw so many posts/articles/etc. blasting them I figured smoke might equal fire in their case.  Looks like they got caught with both hands stuck in that cookie jar!

Jim

[J-Mac]

You can always use my Ultra Fast Whois:
http://www.veign.com/tools/whois/

A quick and easy way to see the status on a domain.

Nice tool, veign! I usually just use the "About This Site" Firefox extension for Whois searches and most of the other web site info tools.  It's pretty cool: Alexa, Netcraft, Open Directory, Wayback Machine, and a host of others available via the context menu.

Jim

[Deozaan]

I believe the only reason people still use them is they don't know there are alternatives.

I've never even heard of Network Solutions until now.

I use xwhois for information on domains.

[Renegade]

Ok - attached is a hacked up browser that once you navigate in it to http://www.networksolutions.com/ will start looking for domains. Source code and all is in there, so go to the bin/Release and run the EXE. .NET 2.0 C# -- notes are in there where sources are from, etc. etc.

Probably some bugs, but should be good to go. If anyone wants to add to it, go nuts!

Cheers!

[Deozaan]

The executable is buried deep in there. Some instructions on where to find it would be useful for people who might have a hard time finding it.

[Renegade]

The executable is buried deep in there. Some instructions on where to find it would be useful for people who might have a hard time finding it.

It's in here:

ExtendedWebBrowser2_Src\ExtendedWebBrowser2\bin\Release

Filename: ExtendedWebBrowser2.exe

Enjoy!

[f0dder]

Renegade: what kind of domains does it construct, and with what interval? Does it do entirely random gibberish, or does it concatenate dictionary words?

[tinjaw]

Let me add my 2 cents. I think your program, Renegade, is a "Bad Idea" ^TM. I do not think you should promote and facilitate a Denial of Service (yes, that is what the courts/lawyers will call it) attack on anybody, even the jerks at Network Solutions.

Additionally, this won't cost them but a few cents of electricity. You will be spending hundreds, if not thousands, of you own time, money, and effort, for a very minuscule return.

I, personally, will not be participating in any way in your plans.

P.S. Don't worry, I still have a man crush on you. 

[Renegade]

They are just random text. I didn't have time to do any dictionary stuff, so I put the entire source there.

As for DOS, well... yeah... kinda... 

But isn't that exactly what NS is doing to customers? The are denying people the possibility of using the services of other registrars... Neither is a very nice thing to do.

[Deozaan]

Hey guys, check out DailyChanges.com:

ReservedDomainName.com (the domain Network Solutions is using to "reserve" these domains) has gained over 50,000 domains just today. I don't think Renegade was the only one with the script idea. I tried to click the list but it crashed Firefox.

[attach=#]

[CWuestefeld]

I almost universally a pro-market laissez faire kinda guy. But it seem clear that NS is acting unethically.

The best non-cyber analogy I can think of is with dealing with a real estate agent. Can you imagine if you wanted to buy a house, and every time you asked the agent to show you one, he'd first buy it up so that you couldn't negotiate with the owner?

I think there's a conflict of interest inherent in the way the business works today. And NS has a responsibility when acting as the salesperson for domains to act in good faith for their customer. Letting their other businesses take precedence over this is definitely bad ethics.

And Network Solutions is the biggest issuer of SSL certs -- they are the ones certifying who else can be trusted 

[Renegade]

Hey guys, check out DailyChanges.com:

ReservedDomainName.com (the domain Network Solutions is using to "reserve" these domains) has gained over 50,000 domains just today. I don't think Renegade was the only one with the script idea. I tried to click the list but it crashed Firefox.
...

After the top 30 or so, the numbers drop dramatically.

There are very good reasons why land speculation has been outlawed in various places/times. It does nothing to add any value while any "added value" is purely artificial. Even the National Socialists understood this... ICANN should really get it's act in gear.

I almost universally a pro-market laissez faire kinda guy. But it seem clear that NS is acting unethically.

Yep. I'm certainly in the liberal camp for a lot of things, but that doesn't mean that just because you *can* do something, you *should*. Some things are simply, well, however you want to put it --- they're not "playing nice".

...
I think there's a conflict of interest inherent in the way the business works today. And NS has a responsibility when acting as the salesperson for domains to act in good faith for their customer. Letting their other businesses take precedence over this is definitely bad ethics.

And Network Solutions is the biggest issuer of SSL certs -- they are the ones certifying who else can be trusted 

Makes a good argument for strong state control of some industries, or strong regulation by the state... Not that I'm in favor of that, but if people can't behave themselves properly, then it's time for the state to step in.