Clue-by-four Verisign.

[reddragdiva]

Over this. (From here, courtesy lusercop.)

From: Martin A. Brooks 
Reply-To: uknot@uk.com
To: uknot@uk.com
Subject: [uknot] Cluebyfour verisign HOWTO for the UK
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 11:32:55 +0100	

Call 0800-032-2101 and select option 2 for Support.

Explain to the engineer that you have typed in an non-existant domain name and
been directed to their sitefinder service.

Explain that you have read the "Terms of Use" and do not agree to abide by
them.

Explain that, as you don't agree to the ToU, you are explicitly forbidden from
using their service.

Ask them to exclude your IP block from those that will be given the sitefinder
IP rather than NXDOMAIN.

Give them your name, company (if appropriate) and a contact telephone number.

US and Canada: The contact page number is 888-642-9675. Apparently they will also refer you to 866-345-0330 (which isn't listed on that page), but you should of course check the number given on their official contact page and call that first. Those are both toll-free numbers, so please don't spend too much of their money. The postal address is VeriSign, Inc., Attention: Legal Department, 21355 Ridgetop Circle, Dulles, VA 20166, USA.

Update: Even ICANN - who have previously done a sterling party turn as Verisign's towel boys - are pissed off. Goodness me! And Paul Vixie has updated BIND accordingly (that being the DNS software most of the Internet runs on).

Comments

[rataxis.livejournal.com]

They insist that all requests like this must be emailed to sitefinder@verisign-grs.com.

Damn support droid wouldn't even give his name or let me speak to his manager...

/joel

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

I foresee their SMTP receivers imploding.

[jhaelan.livejournal.com]

I am dynamically assigned IP by my ISP; whilst I may not agree others might. Suggestions or shall I just make the support droid implode?

[reddragdiva]

Call again just to verify.

[rataxis.livejournal.com]

Or just set a fax to call em every 10 seconds and play them the 'fuck you fuck you fuck you' song?

sorry, </slashdot>

[reddragdiva]

Just make the support droid implode.

[reddragdiva]

And suggest it get a less morally objectionable job, like telemarketing thalidomide or something.

[damned-colonial.livejournal.com]

Network Solutions, how many I help you?

I accidentally mis-typed a domain name today, and the Verisign
sitefinder website showed up unexpectedly. I read the terms of service
and I don't agree to them, so I don't want to visit this website again.
However, the website keeps showing up whenever I make a typing mistake,
so I was wondering if you could please ban me from the service so that I
just get a normal DNS error instead.

Did you succeed in registering the domain name?

I wasn't trying to register it.

Did you enter your credit card details?

No, and nor will I. I do not wish to register a domain name.

What is it that you're trying to do?

I don't want to look at your sitefinder website, because I don't agree
to the Terms of Service

What is your domain name?

That's not relevant, I am not talking about my domain name?

What is the problem exactly?

Can you please put me through to second tier?

Please hold.

What domain name did you try to register?

I did not try to register a domain name.

What were you trying to do?

I was trying to visit a website. I typed the URL into my browser, but I
made a small typing mistake. Your sitefinder website showed up instead.
I don't agree to the terms of service, so I would like you to ban me
from your website, so that I get the same old error message I used to
get.

You would have to talk to your ISP about that.

Why my ISP? It's your website.

You would have to talk to your ISP about banning you from looking at our
website. We can't do that.

I'm sure you can. It's your website.

No, your ISP controls traffic to your computer.

Actually, you also control traffic *from* your website *to* my computer.

Ma'am, we don't know where your computer is, we can't block it. Your
ISP has to do that.

I have a static IP address, would you like me to give it to you?

No ma'am, we are not responsible for blocking your IP from our website.

So I am responsible for blocking my own IP from viewing your website,
even accidentally, even though I don't want to view it in the first
place and only went there because you forced me, and even though I don't
agree to your terms of use?

You will not be liable for the terms of use if you do not agree to them.

Can I get that in writing please?

Ma'am, if you visit the website and you don't want to view it, you can
simply close the browser and re-open another window.

And I won't be liable for Terms of Use infractions because I didn't
agree to them? Can I please get that confirmed by your supervisor?

Let me put you on hold again.

Ma'am, this is the domain name registration department of Network
Solutions. What you are asking is a Verisign question.

Aren't you the same company? I got this phone number from the Verisign
contact page on their website.

Yes ma'am, Network Solutions is owned by Verisign, but this is the
domain name registration support desk.

Can you please put me through to Verisign support, then?

No, I can't connect you. I can give you their website address.

I've been there, that's where I got your number.

Their address is www...

No, I want their phone number.

I can't give you their phone number, I can only give you their website
address.

You don't have their phone number? I thought you were part of the same
company. Don't you have an internal phone directory or anything?

No ma'am, I don't have the number for Verisign support. This is the
Network Solutions domain name registration helpdesk.

Well, who runs the DNS then? You or them? Do you have a number for
them?

Yes ma'am, I can give you the number for our DNS division, but I don't
think they'll be able to help you.

I'd like it anyway, please.

The number is 866 345 0330

Thank you very much.

You're welcome, and thank you for calling Network Solutions.

[reddragdiva]

What was the first number you dialed, and which contortions did you have to go through? Also, please report on the second one. And I'll add both to this post.

[damned-colonial.livejournal.com]

1) Here's the number i called, taken from the contact page on verisign.com:

Domain Names & Related Services
(for Web sites—see below)
U.S. & Canada: 888-642-9675
Worldwide: +1-703-742-0914

2) I'll call the second one now.

[poggs.livejournal.com]

I've had an incredibly shitty day, I shall look forward to winding these people up tonight :)

[reddragdiva]

There's a thread about it on Advogato. You still remember your login? Wanna post it there?

[damned-colonial.livejournal.com]

Thank you for calling Network Solutions Advanced DNS team... please
wait... blah blah... call may be monitored or recorded... all
representatives are busy helping other customers... please hold

Network Solutions DNS group, how can I help you?

I'm calling because I'm unhappy about the wildcard DNS entry for .com.
I mistyped an address and got sent to sitefinder.verisign.com, but I
don't agree to the Terms of Use so I was wondering could you please
block my IP or whatever so I just get the old "no such domain" error
message I used to get?

We don't actually manage that. That's the registry department.

Can I get their phone number please?

I don't actually have that. I don't deal with them very much.

Well do you have an internal phone directory where you could look up
their number?

Well, they don't really deal with users. They don't deal with the
outside world.

So if I have a problem with their stuff, who do I talk to?

Not sure, can I put you on hold for a minute?

OK, the sitefinder website is a new service...

Yeah, I know how it works. Wildcard DNS entry for .com, everyone who
enter a non-existant domain gets sent there instead of getting an
NXDOMAIN error.

Oh OK, well, I have an email address for you to contact if you have any
questions about the service. It's sitefinder@verisign-grs.com

No phone number? I would prefer to talk to someone on the phone.

I'm sorry, just this email address.

OK thanks.

Thank you for calling Network Solutions. Have a great day.

[damned-colonial.livejournal.com]

Can't be bothered. Feel free to repost or whatever.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Don't forget: every call costs them money. Even pointy-haired people can figure out the drawback to that.

[grumpy-sysadmin.livejournal.com]

My favorite part is how they only include domains registered through Network Solutions.

Weren't they supposed to have released their strangle-hold on DNS, like, years ago?

[mjg59.livejournal.com]

Note that their privacy policy claims that no personally idenfitiable information will be kept, but that they may record your IP address. Pretty obvious privacy implications - I've emailed to see how I'm supposed to opt-out of their information gathering...

[reddragdiva]

It would be ahahaha particularly entertaining to send a letter to this effect to the UK office, attn: Data Protection Officer. Just to see what happens.

[dagwast.livejournal.com]

When Verisign does something so braindead that even ICANN gets pissed off at them, you really have to be impressed. Why doesn't Verisign simply change their business plan to "Fuck over the internet any way we possibly can" and get it over with.

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

<http://www.imperialviolet.org/dnsfix.html (http://www.imperialviolet.org/dnsfix.html) has a suggested fix of limited applicability

I wonder if they'd be vulnerable to a charge of domain squatting where you've started registering a domain through another provider

way to prevent seeing Verisign's sitefinder, easy and safe :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Open up your HOSTS file found here in XP: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

and add the following line at the end:
216.239.53.99 sitefinder.verisign.com

This will prevent you from ever seeing the sitefinder again, instead you'll see Google's error message. Much better than sitefinder! :-)

enjoy!
Mike B