Do you use your real name on your domains?

[CJ Jefferson]

I've always used my own name on domains, but also use privacy protection.

Some domainers, though, avoid using their own names and instead use something like:

First Name: Account
Last Name: Representative

Is it legitimate to do this, or are they putting their accounts at risk with registrars?

Any thoughts?

[britishbulldog]

Why not use your real name? besides its good for sales and especially if you get a wipo or udrp because otherwise you could be in trouble.

[carlton]

Using one's real name or company name is honest and straightforward. And raises the credibility level.

So many illegal and abusive practices go on behind the anonymity of the internet.

[demaxxus]

A practice I've seen quite a few people use, and was told by legal counsel is acceptable, is if you have the company name on the domain set as a privacy domain you own.

For example:

Registrant:
MyPrivacyCo.com
Domain Administrator
123 Sesame Street
New York, NY
USA

And then of course have MyPrivacyCo.com registered.

Personally I think in order to be completely safe you should also have the privacy domain registered as a legit business, which doesn't cost much and I think would be worth it.

PS - MyPrivacyCo.com is actually available if anyone wants to go snatch it up

[draggar]

I use my real name - why not? It shows honesty and when I see blatantly false information (like a 555 number) I always wonder what are they trying to hide?

I also use a gmail as the contact information and my real phone number. I don't know if I get email spam (great spam filters) but I don't get unsolicited calls, either.

[demaxxus]

I think it depends on personal preference, some people just want to limit how much of their personal information is available online. Though if people are using fake phone numbers, etc., that's pretty dumb. Even if you're not using your personal contact information, you have to at least use valid information.

[katherine]

Why not use your real name? besides its good for sales and especially if you get a wipo or udrp because otherwise you could be in trouble.

If you lose the WIPO, your name will be tarnished in google.

2 possibilities other than full whois privacy: incorporate or use a generic name like Domain Administrator. AFAIK Icann does not insist on a personal name, but the contact should be reachable at all times.

[south]

Yes, use your corporation for most of your names. But if it's a controversial name, or perhaps gets a lot of traffic, privacy can be a good option. Depends on the name & use of the name.

[Gerry]

I do not use privacy.

If I had to put a number on it, I would say 50% of my sales come from the buyer contacting me directly. This will not happen with privacy on.

Use company name.

[demaxxus]

I would say 50% of my sales come from the buyer contacting me directly. This will not happen with privacy on.

But as long as your privacy information is actually legitimate (the phone number works, the email forwards to you, etc.), I don't really see the difference.

Do you think someone wanting to buy a domain would be deterred simply due to the fact that the WHOIS has privacy information and not an individual person's contact information? (this isn't a rhetorical question, I'm actually curious what your view is on this).

I could understand that people may feel more comfortable contacting an actual person then a privacy company, but if they're willing to pay enough money that the sale is going to be worthwhile for you, I wouldn't think that the WHOIS information would be that big of a deal (as long as its functional).

[Gerry]

But as long as your privacy information is actually legitimate (the phone number works, the email forwards to you, etc.), I don't really see the difference.

Most privacy services I know of have NO contact info except the PROXY info.

[Carter]

I always use my real name.
No privacy services just my real name with real contacts.

This is the way to sell domains

[Domain Jedi]

I use my real name!

[HomerJ]

Why not use your real name? besides its good for sales and especially if you get a wipo or udrp because otherwise you could be in trouble.

the problem for me is there's a bunch of less than craptacular websites who pull whois information in order to populate their sites with milliions of pages of free content that they did nothing to create. I call them leeches

when i google my name now some of the top results are for domains i own or have owned. I really dont care for it.

the alternative is to use your DBA company name. If I file a record with my county clerk that I, Joe Farmer, am Doing Business As 'CompanyXYZ', then it is perfectly acceptable to register domains under the DBA name rather than Joe Farmer

now when people google for Joe Farmer they dont have to see that he is the owner of eatadick.com

[Stian]

Of course I use my real name. I have no reason to use a false name or whois privacy. Also, you get many sales from not having privacy.

[DNBA]

i use my real contact info. i got nothing to hide.

[MAllie]

I use my real name and contact details (I understood that you had to anyway) except for with one domain which is for a blog I need to keep private.

[demaxxus]

It really comes down to a matter of personal preference and privacy. Personally I don't want my grandma googling me one day only to find some of the adult related domains I own

However, I would never use a privacy service that didn't have 100% valid contact information available on my WHOIS. The email, phone number and postal address are all valid and come directly to me.

[radioz]

Of course I use my real name. I have no reason to use a false name or whois privacy. Also, you get many sales from not having privacy.

You might loose sales plus there shouldn't be anything to hide.

It really comes down to a matter of personal preference and privacy. Personally I don't want my grandma googling me one day only to find some of the adult related domains I own

I imagine that if she is savvy enough to even know what the term 'who-is' means that she'll figure it out if she cares to know. You are so busted!

[blogcrash]

Nothing to hide.

I always use my real name in contact details