Google Whois Feature

Whois Google.com?

[xcandyman]

Just came across a new feature of google (I think)

"To see the registered owner of an Internet domain name, type "whois" followed by the domain name ."

[google.com...]

[Brett_Tabke]

So the whois link is back in the serps like the map, phone, address, and spelling "did you mean" options. Cool.

Related?
[google.com...]

[Brett_Tabke]

So the whois is currently a link off to

www.ratite.com

never heard of them.

Looks like netsol already busted them:

[ratite.com...]

The IP address from which you have visited the Network Solutions Registrar WHOIS
database is contained within a list of IP addresses that may have failed
to abide by Network Solutions' WHOIS policy.

[bcolflesh]

Hmmm - seems to randomly use different servers, noticed:

whois.networksolutions.com
whois.crsnic.net

So far - also, networksolutions.com server keeps telling a bunch of addresses don't abide by their WHOIS policy:

"The IP address from which you have visited the Network Solutions Registrar WHOIS database is contained within a list of IP addresses that may have failed to abide by Network Solutions' WHOIS policy. Failure to abide by this policy can adversely impact our systems and servers, preventing the processing of other WHOIS requests."

-- oooh, I'm scared!

[Brett_Tabke]

> build a tool to query it themselves.

netsol will never allow it without google paying them $$$$. Netsol busts EVERYONE trying to do it illegally - hence, all the ransom note checkers like register.com and godaddy.

[TallTroll]

FAST have had a "Discover who owns "example.com"" line when you enter a search term that is a domain name for ages. This seems to be a substandard ripoff of the concept, poorly implemented.

[GoogleGuy]

I think we just link to a site that does whois, which is what FAST does too last time I checked. Querying whois ourself would be a much larger undertaking, but if anyone has recommendations for a good whois site to point to, feel free to suggest it to webmaster [at] google.com and just say "pass this on to GoogleGuy" or something. I think webmasters notice the whois more, but at the same time we added several other things like package tracking for the US postal service:
[google.com...]
It's just part of trying to make sure users can type stuff into the search box and get useful results..

[Kirby]

>but if anyone has recommendations for a good whois site to point to, feel free to suggest it to webmaster [at] google.com and just say "pass this on to GoogleGuy" or something

GoogleGuy, since its a PR10 page, I suspect you will have many takers for that link. ;)

[jim_w]

>>GoogleGuy, since its a PR10 page, I suspect you will have many takers for that link. ;)<<

Yea! Where does the line form? ;-))

[crobb305]

Querying whois ourself would be a much larger undertaking

Maybe Whois data do not affect SERPS afterall, as many have speculated over the past couple of years.

[PatrickDeese]

> if anyone has recommendations for a good whois site to point to, feel free to suggest it

Do Whois sites using Adsense get preferential treatment? If so, I will have one ready by Monday. :D

[amznVibe]

Anyone have this in their browser cache still so they can grab a screenshot of what the output looked like? Curious to see it...

[ideavirus]

Oops - i don't see this in india. have they removed this feature or still there.

I also do run a whois site, may be i should contact them. But i have adsense ads on them. GG, is that okay?

Cheers

[cowweb]

Yeah, I was quite surprised to see it go. It was there yesterday. It's also gone from the features page as far as I can see...

[dirkz]

Doesn't work for me :(

[google.com...]

Points to nowhere.

Maybe this is only for US/UK?

[DrDoc]

Nope, not in the US either...
But it's likely to come back.

[HughMungus]

Doesn't work.

I wonder how their whois advertisers feel about it.

[HughMungus]

So far - also, networksolutions.com server keeps telling a bunch of addresses don't abide by their WHOIS policy:

Thank god...unless you like spam.

[Brett_Tabke]

leave the spam in the cupboard on this one please. (eg: no tool/domain seller/whois tool/etc etc/hosting/ drops please)

[amznVibe]

By the way Brett, a little flashback [webmasterworld.com] from about a year and a half ago ;)

Not quite what you were wishing for, but it's a start, at least they are looking at the data.

[victor]

The secret of instant indexing......

Have a high enough PageRank to interest Googlebot. And have content that changes regularly so she comes snooping back highly regularly.

WMW is a classic example of a site that would get that sort of treatment. I even get a few pages from a site of mine updated every few days, so it's not that hard.

(Is a difference though, between having your pages re-indexed regularly, and having your PageRank updated).

[GeorgeGG]

The secret of instant indexing......

I don't know but get site re-indexed regularly, even less
than 24 hours.
Thought it was normal for everbody?

GGG

[faust]

Why did Google remove this feature?

[Brett_Tabke]

First, welcome to WebmasterWorld.

Did you read the thread? The general consensus is that it stopped working.

[faust]

Hi Brett! Thank you very much for your welcome.

I consider that Google stopped it.