Network Solutions Frontrunning and Tasting, Version 1.1
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After a round of bad publicity the company had to be unhappy with, Network Solutions has announced modifications to its domain "protection" scheme. Under this new feature, about which I wrote extensively earlier today, the company registered any available domain name you search for using its facilities. It did this purportedly to protect you from frontrunners and domain tasters, but of course the practice is, itself, a form of frontrunning and domain tasting. A statement was sent out to a number of venues on which complaints were heard, including CircleID and DomainNameWire: Throughout the launch of this effort we have made, and continue to make, improvements to our protection measure. I want to update you on some of the improvements we are implementing in the near term: The new page says, as point 1 indicates, that the site is under construction and that it is registered with Network Solutions. A box in the middle cycles through this explanation in a variety of languages:
This is definitely an improvement, although it doesn't get Network Solutions off the "monetization" hook. No. 2 the company just had to do. It was a major blunder. The fact that Network Solutions released this feature before getting this part of it right reflects quite badly on the company. No. 3 is just plain weird. Why bother? If someone wants to check a domain without running the risk of having Network Solutions grab it, they should take the obvious step of checking somewhere else. For Windows users, I'm a big fan of the Sysinternals (now Microsoft) command line whois tool. Nowhere in this does it say that the company will disclose to users of its site beforehand that any searches of available domains on the home page will result in those domains being registered by Network Solutions (for their own benefit of course). So clearly the company is still trying to feel out how much it can get away with. |
Comments (3)
They've made more changes since then, including disclosing that practice on their front page. Middle right, can't miss it. :)
Also, those domain names no longer resolve anywhere. Tested one since yesterday.
Too bad they didn't think of: a) not letting those domain names pull up any commercial pages, b) disclose that costumer protection measure on the front page, and c) create some FAQs on the subject before they did that. That could've made their position more credible and not generate a lot of negative publicity, possibly anyway.
But of course, they seek to make money in any way possible while trying not to push the envelope too far. I wonder how long they'll maintain this before, say, ICANN or VeriSign finally addresses the domain tasting and front running problem.
Posted by Dave Zan | January 14, 2008 1:13 AM
I just experienced Network Solutions� predatory frontrunning practices. I believe their actions are illegal � it�s extortion and deceptive advertising. I don�t care about any warning somewhere on the page about so-called �New Protection Measures.�
If they want warn me before telling me whether a domain name is available, by saying �If you continue, the name you chose will be reserved and will not be available for purchase anywhere but with Netsol for four days,� it would be better.
If Network Solutions doesn�t stop the current practice, I bet some clever programmer types will start bombarding them with hundreds of thousands of domain name searches.
Posted by Bruce McFarland | February 7, 2008 4:59 AM
I have set up netsolfrontrunning.com to make ppl aware of Net Sols practices.
Posted by Bill | March 12, 2008 12:39 PM