Front Runners

It's been a while since I've put up a boring tech post, so here goes...

I register all of my domain names for work through Network Solutions (NS), and I've been happy with their service. they even went out of their way one time to help me with an issue, and I've always thought that they were a classy organization. After reading the following article, I'm a little concerned...

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Is-Network-Solutions-Snatching-Domain-Names/?kc=EWKNLBOE011108STR3

NS's website allows people to search domain names to see if they are available. So if I wanted to move my blog from Google to chockssquawks.com I could search there to see if anyone else owned that name. If not, I could register it through them, or through several other registrars like GoDaddy or 1and1. According to this article, whenever a domain name is searched on NS's website, NS automatically reserves it, forcing you to either buy it from them or risk not getting it at all. You lose your chance to register it with one of their cheaper competitors. If this is true, this is a classic example of phishing, and just as devious as spammers that send emails trying to trick people out of their money or personal information. Basically you are coerced into registering through them, because if this is really happening, once they realize you are interested in a domain name, they "steal" it in the hopes of selling it to you without the option of working with a different company.

Until NS clarifies it's procedures on this issue, I know I wont be doing any searches using their website.