] Traditionally, the AUNIC database had been available for anyone to download,
] and over several years, many people did download the entire database.  About
] two years ago, after auDA took over management of the AUNIC database, they
] implemented restrictions that stopped the bulk download of the database.

Bulk anonymous ftp downloading was stopped permanently on 1 Sept 2000.
(And intermittently earlier in 2000.)  So its closer to 1.5 years.

] Kim raised the very real issue of the purpose of the database being to
] enable people to contact the licensee of a domain.  The objective I guess is
] to continue to support this function, while minimising abuse of the data.  I
] must say that I struggle to see any real effect on enabling people to
] contact domain name licensees by removing the domain 'creation date' and
] 'street address' from visibility.  I think having the organisation details,
] Suburb, phone numbers, email addresses, etc, is easily enough to make the
] domain name licensee contactable.
] 
] If anyone can see a significant downside to making these two fields
] invisible, please say so.

If the creation date is known then people can tell what version of
the name policy was in effect at the time the domain was created.

It makes no sense to compare a domain name with the name policy
which is in effect today, the only sensible thing is to look at
the name policy in effect at the time the domain was created.

Given that name policy (and the person responsible for implementing
it) has changed significantly over the years at least in com.au,
knowing a creation date is critical to being able to answer
seriously questions like "why was that domain ever registered?"

] 
] Regards, Mark
] 
] Mark Hughes
] Effective Business Applications Pty Ltd
] effectivebusiness§pplications.com.au
] www.pplications.com.au
] +61 4 1374 3959

__________________________________________________________________________
 David Keegel <djk&#167;cyber.com.au>  URL: http://www.cyber.com.au/users/djk/
Cybersource P/L: Unix Systems Administration and TCP/IP network management