WHOIS

The WHOIS protocol, long used to look up domain registration details, is being retired and replaced by the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP). Many long-time system administrators and internet users are expressing nostalgia for the familiar whois command-line tool, though RDAP-based alternatives exist and offer structured, modern data access.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts has posted an opening for a research assistant, listed through the Ocean Career job board. The position sits within the institution's coastal and offshore environmental research work. Job seekers in marine science and biology are circulating the listing among those looking to start or advance ocean research careers.

ICANN is testing a single sign-on system that would give law enforcement agencies access to non-public WHOIS registration data. The tool is intended for urgent cases involving imminent threats to life, critical infrastructure, or children, allowing vetted investigators to quickly obtain registrant details normally shielded from public view. Privacy advocates are likely to scrutinise the scheme over concerns about scope and oversight of who can query the data and under what safeguards.

A question circulating in developer and startup circles asks founders which domain registrar they rely on when launching new projects. Replies and recommendations are expected to centre on pricing, transfer policies, WHOIS privacy and support as the key factors in choosing where to register domains for new ventures.