In the earlier Article "Domain-An ID Card For Your Website!" we discussed about ownership of your domain & different contact details such as Registrant (owner) , Admin and Technical associated with your domain.
Normally when you give a complete contract to website designing company they book domain on your behalf; unless & until you insist they might fill in their contact details (Which is not recommended) and keep domain under their single control panel where they have domain booking done for multiple clients. This way you might not get domain control panel password for your personal domain. And hence you are clueless on what all contact details associated while booking your domain. Is it yours ? Or is it your Vendors?
Ever domain has Domain Creation Date (Date on which you First time booked it) , Expiry date (When its due for renewal) & Updated On (When last any kind of changes been made to domain information. ) Are you aware of these dates ? Specially the Expiry date by which if not renewed your website will stop working and most important if someone else books it you will have to change the website address on all your print and promotional material. This could lead to huge direct indirect financial looses & goodwill of business.
Sometime vendor who booked your domain is not traceable or went out of business & you are not aware of ownership as well as renewal!
In all the situations explained above what I am trying to point out is keep control of domain booking in your hand. Even if you appoint someone to book domain know your rights and so check who is who of domain ?
Now the question is How To Do IT? It's very simple type following URL in your browser;
"http://whois.sc/<<your Domain Name>>" ; you might have to verify that you are not robot by simple clicks & selecting few Images and that's all; you will she who is who of domain (as explained above) along with where this site hosted and by whom. Who owns it , who created it & when its expiring.
Yes sometimes you might see Privacy Prohibition or domain detail data Prohibited to view; if its your domain; insist to keep it open as when in virtual world of web you want to promote your products or services you need to make sure that you give all correct and real contact information that built trust in the buyer's mind. Many buyer in addition to contact details you have given on website prefer checking Domain Name Ownership and contact details.
You can check any domain by typing the same command http://whois.sc/<<your Domain Name>>; so even when you are trying to business with new vendor on web you can check contact details they have submitted while booking domain. Who Is.. is compulsory for all domain registrar to offer on their website.
This looks like very simple command but its most powerful tool to check ownership of your domain and get it corrected if booked with wrong contact details; check now WHOIS WHO OF DOMAIN!
