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From: PAP4@AI.AI.MIT.EDU ("Philip A. Prindeville")
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Institution-wide whois
Message-ID: <289322.871121.PAP4@AI.AI.MIT.EDU>
Date: Sat, 21-Nov-87 05:13:16 EST
Article-I.D.: AI.289322.871121.PAP4
Posted: Sat Nov 21 05:13:16 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Nov-87 03:46:57 EST
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 44

I agree that most sites should maintain current whois database
information.  I think that the whois database structure is perhaps
past due, and a more appropriate form is needed.  For the host
information, perhaps a new record type could be added, such
as ADMIN.  This would tell you something about the organization
behind a domain. Ie:

	MIT.EDU
	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
	77 Massachusetts Avenue
	Cambridge, MA 02139
	(617) 253-1000

(as the ADMIN info)

	Nameservers: W20NS.MIT.EDU (18....) BITSY.MIT.EDU (18....) ...

(via NS queries for MIT.EDU)

And...
	LCS.MIT.EDU
	M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science
	5 Cambridge Centre (NE-43)
	Cambridge, MA 02139
	(617) 253-6001

(more ADMIN info)

	Nameservers: XX.LCS.MIT.EDU (10....)

(NS records)

and information for hosts could also be specified, where the ADMIN
record would tell you who the responsible person for a host is,
including phone number, address, and mailbox.  These wouldn't be
necessary for all hosts, maybe just gateways and nameservers...

For the user information, each host in the desired subdomain (or the
host itself, if it were named) could be 'fingered' for the desired
information about a user.

Ideas, comments?

-Philip