[GNC] whois lookup - gnucash.net

[John Ralls]

> On Mar 30, 2019, at 1:05 PM, Jean-David Beyer via gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
> 
> On 3/30/19 2:42 PM, Gnucash User wrote:
>> Yes, the question is what are the thoughts of the gnucash
>> developers/contributors on the use of "gnucash" as a second-level domain
>> name?   I see, for instance, that besides the aforementioned
>> gnucash.net, someone has also registered gnucash.com.  This pertains to
>> how new users could learn where to obtain software and information, but
>> perhaps there might be a more appropriate forum? Thanks!
> 
> Interesting: in Russia?
> 
> $ dig gnucash.net
> 
> ; <<>> DiG 9.8.2rc1-RedHat-9.8.2-0.68.rc1.el6_10.1 <<>> gnucash.net
> ;; global options: +cmd
> ;; Got answer:
> ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 9492
> ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 18
> 
> ;; QUESTION SECTION:
> ;gnucash.net.			IN	A
> 
> ;; ANSWER SECTION:
> gnucash.net.		86400	IN	A	45.63.19.35
> 
> ;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
> gnucash.net.		172799	IN	NS	ns2.reg.ru.
> gnucash.net.		172799	IN	NS	ns1.reg.ru.
> 
> ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.11
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.13
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.15
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.17
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.11
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.13
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.15
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.17
> ns1.reg.ru.		86400	IN	AAAA	2a00:f940:4::47
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.18
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.12
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.14
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.16
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	194.58.117.18
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.12
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.14
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	A	176.99.13.16
> ns2.reg.ru.		86400	IN	AAAA	2a00:f940:5::190
> 
> ;; Query time: 677 msec
> ;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(127.0.0.1)
> ;; WHEN: Sat Mar 30 16:04:20 2019
> ;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 399
> 

A squatter. Note that the registrant is in Squaw Valley, CA. The .com address is registered via goDaddy to a domain-squatter firm, NameFind, in Boston. It strikes me as unlikely that anyone will pay them for either domain.

Before 2010 or so there were only three top-level domains available to the public, .com, .net, and .org. In those days it was common practice to register one's domain with all three in order to prevent others from misusing them. With the effectively unlimited number of top-level domains it's no longer even possible never mind feasible to block all of them so the practice has fallen out of favor.

The good news is that almost nobody types domains into address bars anymore, they use Google.

So to the OP: There's nothing we can do to stop you from registering gnucash.whatever and using it as a pirated porn site if you want to. It's not likely to affect gnucash.org's search results so it's not likely to do us any harm.

Regards,
John Ralls