When Purchasing a Domain Name ...

When you purchase a domain name, you have an option of making it private or not. That means that no one can find out who owns it.

Here's the advantage: By making your site private, you reduce the amount of spam coming to your site and entering your IN box in your email. Some of that spam may be dangerous.

Here's the disadvantage: You cannot find out who owns the site, and that may pose a lot of legal, marketing and logistical problems if the site if for an organization. If the information was put in the name of a single individual who say, leaves town with whereabouts unknown, then you're stuck when it comes to the maintenance, payment and control of the site - all because you didn't know the name of the owner and the contact information (password, account number, credit card number, etc.)

MARKETING TIP: For the sake of others involved in your organization or project, make sure your domain name is not set up as "private" when it is purchased. You need access to your #1 marketing tool.