Comment NSI total BS documented (Score 1) 59
Network Solutions has authorized an illegal transfer (breaking their own policy) and hijacked my domain AOLSearch.com and handed over its ownership to America Online.
Subj: Network Solutions Policy Breach
Date: 6/22/99 11:19:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: WiredNetFX
To: sabel@fenwick.com
Dear Sally Abel,
I understand that you are involved in overseeing an ongoing investigation of Network Solutions. The situation that I find myself entangled regarding NSI and their practices in on a small scale compared to the scope the Justice Deparment's case must involve. But it does have far reaching implications for the integrity of NSI's business ethics regarding its customers.
I'm writing to tell you about Network Solutions (NSI) arrogantly abusing it's power. If you canoffer any advice, assistance or pass this along to others who might be ina position to help, I would greatly appreciate anything you have in your power to do. Thank you.............
What happened to me is a cautionary tale that of what may befall other businesses who register domain name through NSI.
In June of '98, my grandmother, Nancy Roberts, registered a domain for me so that I could build a website for the black community called African-American Online Search. {AOLSearch.com)
The website was considered a standout page which garnered critical acclaim and attracted a thriving audience until mid-May of 99; when NSI approved a simultaneous deletion and transfer to America Online.
[note* I wasn't surprised that AOL was trying to sneakily steal my site away because America Online had sent me a threatening letter mid-April telling me to turn my site over to them because they wanted to use it for a new search site they're putting up.]
When I was notified of this unauthorized attempt to have my domain name hijacked away form me and promptly called NSI headquaters where they assured me that no one could take away my domain without my written approval via email. Unfortunately, the website transfer went through inspite of my vocal protest and NSI's empty assurances.
My website hosting company, PrimeGen, wasn't notified of the transfer and subsequently have billed me to continue hosting AOLSearch.com. They unsuccessfully tried to transfer my domain back to their servers and have been told by NSI, that I approved the transfer. Untrue.
I spent over a month trying to get a straight answer from NSI president Jim Rutt and business office head Dave Graves as to why the domain was deleted and transferred.
Finally, Dave Graves presented me with a reason why. He said that AOL "supposedly" couldn't contact me at my legal business address and that NSI sent me a piece of snail mail giving me 30 days to make my information in the WHOIS database current. He said that that piece of mail was (oh so convienently) returned to them...He says that NSI waited 30 days for me to update and when i didn't he had the right to delete my domain name and give it to AOL.
I never received email and/or anything by registered/certified mail asking to make the WHOIS info current; so it was 100% impossible for NSI to say they gave me 30 days notice, when they didn't actually contact me. They contact'd me by email for ten other reasons, why couldn't they contact me for something so important ?
Very fishy.
And just so you know my business address information was and is correct and current in the whois database. It's verifiable by many sources, including bills from NSI themselves (one bill in my possession is dated two days apart from when Dave Graves said NSI sent me mail and had it returned ! )
Also my certified business registration is on file with the postmater in New York City.
Mr. Graves actually admitted that my information was current and correct himself,
but he officially refuses to rightfully return my domain to me.
As you can see, this means that if the postal service loses mail, that NSI will not bother to even email the contact that they have 30 days to comply; instead they will know its impossible for the registrant to update the info and will simply let time run out and delete their entry.
According to NSI's past and present rule policy, a domain can only be deleted in the whois information is not current or correct. And since my information was correct and the domain was deleted and transferred through no fault of my own, NSI has no real excuse not to transfer my domain back to me.
It's obvious that they'd rather butt heads with me than a big competitor such as America Online.
I have started up dialogues online and on the phone with various organizations who oversee a/or keep an eye on NSI's activities. ICANN's Mike Roberts and Esther Dyson's assistant have both told me that ICANN doesn't yet have the power to mediate on the actions of NSI. Dept. of Commerce Internet Head Becky Burr has written me that there's not much she can do to change NSI decisions.
If the goverment and agencies for the goverment are powerless to right NSI's wrongs the public needs to know right away what a big problem NSI is turning out to be........
I am attaching all vital correspondences at the bottom of this email for your perusal.
The website for African-American Online Search still resides on its original I.P. address and can be found at http://216.71.85.176/ , also the original ftp site is still up and shows that aolsearch was operational until May 99 ftp://216.71.85.176/.banner.
Additionally, you can visit http://www.webmasterfx.com/aolsearch.htm for updates and full info on this story....
Sincerely yours,
C. Emanuelle
WebmasterFX/MegaSpark/AOLSearch Web
201-656-8524
investigation@post.com & wirednetfx@aol.com
Subj: No surprise here.........
Date: 6/22/99 11:43:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: WiredNetFX
To: bburr@ntia.doc.gov, krose@ntia.doc.gov
To: brian@PC-radio.com
AOL developing search engine
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 21, 1999, 4:00 a.m. PT
America Online is quietly testing a search engine that will list results from its proprietary service and the entire Web, in an effort to expand on its "keyword" and directory-type services.
The new service, called AOL Search, will launch later this fall, AOL said. AOL is previewing it in its proprietary service and expects to use it throughout its other Web-based properties, including Netcenter and CompuServe.
Until now, getting to specific areas within AOL required typing in a "keyword" or clicking on a specific channel on the navigation bar. But with AOL Search, finding areas in the online service more or less resembles finding content on the Web.
"It's a redesign of the overall search function," said Wendy Goldberg, an AOL spokeswoman.
She added that AOL Search will combine internal search technology and outside search partnerships.
Already, AOL has signed on Inktomi as one of its external search partners. Excite has been powering AOL's Web search products, such as AOL NetFind. But with the Inktomi partnership signed last week, Goldberg said Inktomi's search technology will replace Excite's.
AOL has changed its relationship with Excite given cable Net access firm @Home's acquisition of Excite and AOL's acquisition of Netscape Communications. AOL is embroiled in a battle with @Home and others over high-speed Internet access over cable.
AOL wants to offer a high-speed cable access service to its members. But cable companies argue that they built the networks and don't want to open them up to their competitors.
A court recently upheld a ruling in Portland, Oregon, to require cable operators to open their lines to outside competitors. AT&T, the largest cable provider in the country, and the largest shareholder in @Home, appealed the ruling last week.
Subj: Network Solutions Policy Breach
Date: 6/22/99 11:19:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: WiredNetFX
To: sabel@fenwick.com
Dear Sally Abel,
I understand that you are involved in overseeing an ongoing investigation of Network Solutions. The situation that I find myself entangled regarding NSI and their practices in on a small scale compared to the scope the Justice Deparment's case must involve. But it does have far reaching implications for the integrity of NSI's business ethics regarding its customers.
I'm writing to tell you about Network Solutions (NSI) arrogantly abusing it's power. If you canoffer any advice, assistance or pass this along to others who might be ina position to help, I would greatly appreciate anything you have in your power to do. Thank you.............
What happened to me is a cautionary tale that of what may befall other businesses who register domain name through NSI.
In June of '98, my grandmother, Nancy Roberts, registered a domain for me so that I could build a website for the black community called African-American Online Search. {AOLSearch.com)
The website was considered a standout page which garnered critical acclaim and attracted a thriving audience until mid-May of 99; when NSI approved a simultaneous deletion and transfer to America Online.
[note* I wasn't surprised that AOL was trying to sneakily steal my site away because America Online had sent me a threatening letter mid-April telling me to turn my site over to them because they wanted to use it for a new search site they're putting up.]
When I was notified of this unauthorized attempt to have my domain name hijacked away form me and promptly called NSI headquaters where they assured me that no one could take away my domain without my written approval via email. Unfortunately, the website transfer went through inspite of my vocal protest and NSI's empty assurances.
My website hosting company, PrimeGen, wasn't notified of the transfer and subsequently have billed me to continue hosting AOLSearch.com. They unsuccessfully tried to transfer my domain back to their servers and have been told by NSI, that I approved the transfer. Untrue.
I spent over a month trying to get a straight answer from NSI president Jim Rutt and business office head Dave Graves as to why the domain was deleted and transferred.
Finally, Dave Graves presented me with a reason why. He said that AOL "supposedly" couldn't contact me at my legal business address and that NSI sent me a piece of snail mail giving me 30 days to make my information in the WHOIS database current. He said that that piece of mail was (oh so convienently) returned to them...He says that NSI waited 30 days for me to update and when i didn't he had the right to delete my domain name and give it to AOL.
I never received email and/or anything by registered/certified mail asking to make the WHOIS info current; so it was 100% impossible for NSI to say they gave me 30 days notice, when they didn't actually contact me. They contact'd me by email for ten other reasons, why couldn't they contact me for something so important ?
Very fishy.
And just so you know my business address information was and is correct and current in the whois database. It's verifiable by many sources, including bills from NSI themselves (one bill in my possession is dated two days apart from when Dave Graves said NSI sent me mail and had it returned ! )
Also my certified business registration is on file with the postmater in New York City.
Mr. Graves actually admitted that my information was current and correct himself,
but he officially refuses to rightfully return my domain to me.
As you can see, this means that if the postal service loses mail, that NSI will not bother to even email the contact that they have 30 days to comply; instead they will know its impossible for the registrant to update the info and will simply let time run out and delete their entry.
According to NSI's past and present rule policy, a domain can only be deleted in the whois information is not current or correct. And since my information was correct and the domain was deleted and transferred through no fault of my own, NSI has no real excuse not to transfer my domain back to me.
It's obvious that they'd rather butt heads with me than a big competitor such as America Online.
I have started up dialogues online and on the phone with various organizations who oversee a/or keep an eye on NSI's activities. ICANN's Mike Roberts and Esther Dyson's assistant have both told me that ICANN doesn't yet have the power to mediate on the actions of NSI. Dept. of Commerce Internet Head Becky Burr has written me that there's not much she can do to change NSI decisions.
If the goverment and agencies for the goverment are powerless to right NSI's wrongs the public needs to know right away what a big problem NSI is turning out to be........
I am attaching all vital correspondences at the bottom of this email for your perusal.
The website for African-American Online Search still resides on its original I.P. address and can be found at http://216.71.85.176/ , also the original ftp site is still up and shows that aolsearch was operational until May 99 ftp://216.71.85.176/.banner.
Additionally, you can visit http://www.webmasterfx.com/aolsearch.htm for updates and full info on this story....
Sincerely yours,
C. Emanuelle
WebmasterFX/MegaSpark/AOLSearch Web
201-656-8524
investigation@post.com & wirednetfx@aol.com
Subj: No surprise here.........
Date: 6/22/99 11:43:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: WiredNetFX
To: bburr@ntia.doc.gov, krose@ntia.doc.gov
To: brian@PC-radio.com
AOL developing search engine
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 21, 1999, 4:00 a.m. PT
America Online is quietly testing a search engine that will list results from its proprietary service and the entire Web, in an effort to expand on its "keyword" and directory-type services.
The new service, called AOL Search, will launch later this fall, AOL said. AOL is previewing it in its proprietary service and expects to use it throughout its other Web-based properties, including Netcenter and CompuServe.
Until now, getting to specific areas within AOL required typing in a "keyword" or clicking on a specific channel on the navigation bar. But with AOL Search, finding areas in the online service more or less resembles finding content on the Web.
"It's a redesign of the overall search function," said Wendy Goldberg, an AOL spokeswoman.
She added that AOL Search will combine internal search technology and outside search partnerships.
Already, AOL has signed on Inktomi as one of its external search partners. Excite has been powering AOL's Web search products, such as AOL NetFind. But with the Inktomi partnership signed last week, Goldberg said Inktomi's search technology will replace Excite's.
AOL has changed its relationship with Excite given cable Net access firm @Home's acquisition of Excite and AOL's acquisition of Netscape Communications. AOL is embroiled in a battle with @Home and others over high-speed Internet access over cable.
AOL wants to offer a high-speed cable access service to its members. But cable companies argue that they built the networks and don't want to open them up to their competitors.
A court recently upheld a ruling in Portland, Oregon, to require cable operators to open their lines to outside competitors. AT&T, the largest cable provider in the country, and the largest shareholder in @Home, appealed the ruling last week.
