Whois service gets MVP.
Perhaps it’s only fitting that the top domain tool is, well, DomainTools.
The popular whois service was selected as the “most valuable” software or hosted application for domain research and management, according to respondents in the 5th Annual Domain Name Wire Survey.
39% of those surveyed picked DomainTools, nearly three times as many as the next highest vote-getter.
Here are the top five results:
1. DomainTools (39%)
2. FreshDrop (14%) – expired domain evaluation system
3. Estibot (14%) – domain appraisal and sales system
4. Domain Research Tool (5%)
5. Watch My Domains (4%) – domain portfolio management
What’s interesting about the top five are that none of them are really “competitors” of the other. From expired domains to domain sales to domain prospecting, each helps domainers with a distinctly different part of their business.
A handful of write-in votes were received for Google’s free keyword tool and Valuate.com.
More survey results are available here.
When some registar’s whois bans their IP range, they start using illegal botnetworks to proxy their whois request. They are illegaly collecting and storing data by illegal means than selling it to lawyers for huge $$$. Domaintools are as dirty as it gets. They should be investigated by the FBI for cooperating with Russian mob (paying for using their botnet) and sent to jail to cool off. Their money might be even supporting terrorims, so NSA should go after them as well.
If someone think I am lying, if you got own registrar, ban on whois site these IPs
66.228.209.32/28
64.246.161.24/29
64.246.161.40/29
64.246.162.160/28
64.246.165.128/25
216.145.16.0/24
66.249.0.0/19
209.59.192.0/19
64.79.192.0/19
All requests from DOmaintools will start comming from many different IP ranges from all over the world. When you research those IP, you will find it is always a windows PC or ADSL modem = botnet of virus infected computers.
“TERMS OF USE: You are not authorized to access or query our Whois
database through the use of electronic processes that are high-volume and
automated except as reasonably necessary to register domain names or
modify existing registrations”
So it seems that Domaintools violate the TOS of most registrars and make a decent profit out of it.
…and here we go again.
You’re making an assumption that a registrar is allowed to limit access to whois.
You are making an assumption everyone must be allowed something first before doing it. That’s valid maybe in jail or a scool. But not in normal life in normal democratic society.
You might want to check RAA 3.3.5 which specifically ALLOWS registrars to limit access to their whois to leechers/cockroaches like Domaintools. And DOmaintools is unlawfully hacking using illegal botnetworks. Soe registrars should sue these clowns so they finally bugger off
@dfgdfg – that would be a shame. As this survey clearly shows, most domainers get a heck of a lot of benefit out of the service. Like checking the registration history of domains we’re buying, keeping tabs on changes to our domains, etc.
Domaintools is making money so they should pay money to registrars for leeching, this is BTW also mentioned in RAA.
And if a registrar decides to block their access and they do not respect it and start to access the whois illegaly using network of infected computers, that’s much bigger shame wouldn;t you agree ?