Subject: domain snagging 101
From: Mark Jeftovic (markjr@privateworld.com)
Date: Sun Feb 20 2000 - 04:12:06 EST
I've gotten numerous requests off list to make available my script for
snagging domains. It isn't rocket science. Keep in mind anyone who has
openSRS access has the capability to make a much better one, but up until
now, this is how I've been doing it. This method doesn't automagically
"scoop" the domain when it finally drops, it simply lets you know it's
"in the zone" so to speak.
Also keep in mind I just use this for my own personal collection. I started
collecting domain names awhile back. This is not an easyDNS business practice,
it's just something I do on my own. I started out mainly to annoy a domain
speculator who had a couple domain names I really liked and he never paid
the fees for (I got one and missed the other). From there I just started
getting domain names I liked either for esthetic reasons or because I think
I might want them in the future for other projects.
Anyways, here goes...
* I use my whois base class for PHP, looking at my script I'm just using
version 1 still, I never bothered to port it to version 2. Anyways, the
old class is available at http://www.shmooze.net/~markjr/whois/ and the
version 2 rewrite is available at http://www.easydns.com/~markjr/whois2/
* I make the following assumptions:
- if the domain has nameserver listed, it's taken :)
- if the domain is not listed in the roots, but it is still
in the >> REGISTRAR << whois database, then I guess that it's
"on hold"
- when the domain finally drops from the registrar database and
has no nameservers listed, but is still in the registry database,
it is deemed "available". More accurately the domain is "about to
become available".
* from there I just pipe in a list of domains I want to keep an eye on
and put it in a cron job. It's a pretty basic loop, here's the essential
loop using the whois.php3 class:
require("/www/easydns/whois.php3");
while(!$done) {
flush();
$domain=trim(fgets($fp,27));
if(empty($domain)) { break; }
if(ereg("^#",$domain)) { continue; }
$whois = new whois;
$whois->rawlookup($domain);
$ns_rr = $whois->dns_lookup($domain);
if($whois->FOUND) {
if($ns_rr){ print "$domain taken\n"; }
else { print "$domain on hold\n"; }
}
elseif($whois->ERROR) { print "$domain ERROR\n"; }
else { print "$domain available..."; }
}
Keep in mind, once an "on hold" domain comes up available, it goes into
a "5 day holding period" during which time it still cannot be re-registered.
At that point I just wait and eyeball it. I used to fire in an email template
when I thought it was time, but now I use Bulk Register. Sometimes I get
it, sometimes I don't.
-mark
---- Mark Jeftovic, <markjr@easydns.com> easyDNS Technologies Inc. http://www.easyDNS.com/
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