Comments on: ICANN investigating Domain Name Front Running http://www.dmueller.com/2007/10/24/domain-names-domains/icann-investigating-domain-name-front-running/ Dominik's blog about domain names, web search, online marketing and economics. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:35:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Network Solutions Front Running | Dominik Mueller http://www.dmueller.com/2007/10/24/domain-names-domains/icann-investigating-domain-name-front-running/#comment-3098 Network Solutions Front Running | Dominik Mueller Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:25:37 +0000 http://www.dmueller.com/2007/10/24/domain-names-domains/domain-registration/icann-investigating-domain-name-front-running/#comment-3098 [...] reported that domain registrar Network Solutions is domain name front running, a practice I wrote about in October last year. Domain front running is the practice of tracking domain search data and [...] [...] reported that domain registrar Network Solutions is domain name front running, a practice I wrote about in October last year. Domain front running is the practice of tracking domain search data and [...]

]]> By: DomainerPro http://www.dmueller.com/2007/10/24/domain-names-domains/icann-investigating-domain-name-front-running/#comment-2600 DomainerPro Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:55:05 +0000 http://www.dmueller.com/2007/10/24/domain-names-domains/domain-registration/icann-investigating-domain-name-front-running/#comment-2600 I've always heard it referred to as domain spying or domain sniffing. In any case, there are certain registrars and WHOIS services that are notorious for this. Sure it occurs. There's too much money in it for some to resist. If you're a major domain taster, facing a pool of domains that has been repeatedly tasted and thrown back, how do you come up with new domains to taste? You use other peoples' ideas. If one person is searching a certain domain name, you can bet many others are as well. Or you buy referrer logs from ISPs and see what domains are producing 404s, or several other methods, all of which involve spying on people's searches. Is it illegal? I suppose not? Ethical? Debatable. By the way, I've emailed several top domainers to ask their opinions on this subject, and none replied. **ANSWER** I think "Domain name front running" or "domain spying" is not illegal as of now, but it's surely not an ethical practice. Big domain tasters and domain front runners probably have advanced technology on hand so they can grab domains other people looked up within seconds, even before the originally interested domainer can register the domain himself. On the other hand, I still believe that in most cases it is just a coincidence. Jay has an <a href="http://blog.domaintools.com/2007/10/front-running-hype/" rel="nofollow">insightful post</a> on this topic, by the way. I’ve always heard it referred to as domain spying or domain sniffing. In any case, there are certain registrars and WHOIS services that are notorious for this. Sure it occurs. There’s too much money in it for some to resist. If you’re a major domain taster, facing a pool of domains that has been repeatedly tasted and thrown back, how do you come up with new domains to taste? You use other peoples’ ideas. If one person is searching a certain domain name, you can bet many others are as well. Or you buy referrer logs from ISPs and see what domains are producing 404s, or several other methods, all of which involve spying on people’s searches.

Is it illegal? I suppose not? Ethical? Debatable.

By the way, I’ve emailed several top domainers to ask their opinions on this subject, and none replied.

**ANSWER**

I think “Domain name front running” or “domain spying” is not illegal as of now, but it’s surely not an ethical practice. Big domain tasters and domain front runners probably have advanced technology on hand so they can grab domains other people looked up within seconds, even before the originally interested domainer can register the domain himself. On the other hand, I still believe that in most cases it is just a coincidence. Jay has an insightful post on this topic, by the way.

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