Google Watches Domain Registrations?

I'm virtually positive of it.

[amznVibe]

I always wondered if Google watched for domain registrations since it is techincally possible to do, now I really suspect it (and this is a good thing).

I just got a brand new domain name, and put up a single page of info to hold it in place on my site. It's not listed anywhere, it's never been registered before, and it's not crawlable from anywhere, but bingo, 24 hours after the domain is active, Google visits it!

Since I didn't even know the propragation was complete, I had not even visited it yet with the Google toolbar active, so I know it didn't get it from there.

I found it startling but impressive. Anyone else experience this?

[ciml]

Yes, I think that Google have been using WHOIS data for quite some time.

[Phleem]

Are you sure no one had that domain in the past?

[amznVibe]

Positive of it. I checked a few sites with registry history, google and wayback machine, it was never used.