A domain when registered can be private or public registration. A public registration list your name, e-mail address, phone number and postal mail address in the whois database. And this whois data is available for public viewing. Private domain registration on the other hand can protect your private data. This will protect your self from spammers and scams.
There are registrar that will allow you to change your domain registration from public to private free of charge while others will cost you.
My domain athanobs.com for instance is registered with public registration option. This will let people see my private data. Below is the information you will get using whois look up at www.dnsstuff.com :
Registrar: SCHLUND+PARTNER AG
Status: ok
domain: athanobs.com
created: 23-Jan-2007
last-changed: 05-Apr-2007
registration-expiration: 23-Jan-2008
nserver: ns51.1and1.com 74.208.2.8
nserver: ns52.1and1.com 74.208.3.7
status: CLIENT-TRANSFER-PROHIBITED
registrant-firstname: Jonathan
registrant-lastname: Obera
registrant-organization: athanobs.com
registrant-street1: 391-E Riverside, Hipodromo
registrant-pcode: 6000
registrant-city: Cebu City
registrant-ccode: PH
registrant-phone: +63.322358054
registrant-email: *********@yahoo.com
admin-c-firstname: Jonathan
admin-c-lastname: Obera
admin-c-organization: athanobs.com
admin-c-street1: 391-E Riverside, Hipodromo
admin-c-pcode: 6000
admin-c-city: Cebu City
admin-c-ccode: PH
admin-c-phone: +63.322358054
admin-c-email: *********@yahoo.com
tech-c-firstname: Jonathan
tech-c-lastname: Obera
tech-c-organization: athanobs.com
tech-c-street1: 391-E Riverside, Hipodromo
tech-c-pcode: 6000
tech-c-city: Cebu City
tech-c-ccode: PH
tech-c-phone: +63.322358054
tech-c-email: *********@yahoo.com
bill-c-firstname: Jonathan
bill-c-lastname: Obera
bill-c-organization: athanobs.com
bill-c-street1: 391-E Riverside, Hipodromo
bill-c-pcode: 6000
bill-c-city: Cebu City
bill-c-ccode: PH
bill-c-phone: +63.322358054
bill-c-email: *********@yahoo.com
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