closing a website

Greetings - this probably isn't the most appropriate group for this query,
but there seems to be a lot of good advice/know-how around.

I belong to a church, and the priest who was here up to a month or so back
had set up a website for and about the parish. He left, and the replacement
wants to scrap that site and buy into a different system - something to do
with a wider diocesan website that has links to individual parishes, all
administered from the one location with similar look and feel (a corporate
jobby!!)

Trouble is, the last priest has gone off to remote locations in India and
either isn't able to access his email or isn't replying.

I've used WHOIS to get info, and it shows his details as the Registrant, and
the Domain Registrar appears to be Register.com

So - is there any way to take the site off-line if we can't contact him?

OK, we could just leave the site there, but it's going to be confusing if
people run web-searches and find two sites for the same place, with
completely differing info.

ANy thoughts welcome

Cheers

"JIP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:439efc08$0$1482$(E-Mail Removed)

[snip]

> So - is there any way to take the site off-line if we
> can't contact him?
> OK, we could just leave the site there, but it's going to
> be confusing if people run web-searches and find two
> sites for the same place, with completely differing info.
>
> ANy thoughts welcome

AFAIK the only way to delete a site is to log on with the admin password,
if you don't have that you're basically stuffed. If you can prove beyond
doubt who you are and what your reasons are to the host owners, they *may*
delete it for you but don't bank on it.

Of course the site will be deleted automatically once the registration
period is up and the domain/hosting fees haven't been paid, how long
before that happens..? (WHOIS should tell you when the domain expires).

Ivor

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:51:17 UTC, "JIP" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> I've used WHOIS to get info, and it shows his details as the Registrant, and
> the Domain Registrar appears to be Register.com
>
> So - is there any way to take the site off-line if we can't contact him?

Probably not quite the right approach....start by finding out what IP
address the domain name resolves to. Then use the RIPE 'whois' to find
out the ISP who has that IP block. Then contact that ISP.

Or, more crudely (and may amount to the same thing) find out who is
running the DNS for that domain, and pull the DNS.

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

"JIP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:439efc08$0$1482$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Greetings - this probably isn't the most appropriate group for this query,
> but there seems to be a lot of good advice/know-how around.
>
> I belong to a church, and the priest who was here up to a month or so back
> had set up a website for and about the parish. He left, and the
> replacement wants to scrap that site and buy into a different system -
> something to do with a wider diocesan website that has links to individual
> parishes, all administered from the one location with similar look and
> feel (a corporate jobby!!)
>
> Trouble is, the last priest has gone off to remote locations in India and
> either isn't able to access his email or isn't replying.
>
> I've used WHOIS to get info, and it shows his details as the Registrant,
> and the Domain Registrar appears to be Register.com
>
> So - is there any way to take the site off-line if we can't contact him?
>
> OK, we could just leave the site there, but it's going to be confusing if
> people run web-searches and find two sites for the same place, with
> completely differing info.
>
Do a WHOIS search on the domain, you then find out who hosts it. E-mail
them, confirming who you are and they should pull the plug, or at least
suspend it. Alternatively spam the whole web with fake headers from that
site, and get it shut off.

On 13-Dec-2005, "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Probably not quite the right approach....start by finding out what IP
> address the domain name resolves to. Then use the RIPE 'whois' to find
> out the ISP who has that IP block. Then contact that ISP.
>
> Or, more crudely (and may amount to the same thing) find out who is
> running the DNS for that domain, and pull the DNS.

First thing is to find the ISP hosting the site, as suggested above,
then prove who you are and get login details, like username and
password. Then you can delete the sites content, or better still
provide a forwarding/redirect page, so that regular users that return
from bookmarks can find the new site.
You may however find that the hosting ISP will need some very
convincing evidence that you are legitimate (like having their
original paperwork) since they would be legally liable for
any claim made against them. You are up against a minefield,
registration is done through agents, and there is therefore the
primary registering agency (ICAAN, Nominet etc), then the agent
that registered on behalf of, and the ISP doing the hosting,
who may not be the agent who did the registration. The primary
registration agency may be uncontactable, and nobody talks
to anyone else, or keeps accessible records, unless they
want money, then they emerge from the woodwork.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> On 13-Dec-2005, "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Probably not quite the right approach....start by finding out what IP
>> address the domain name resolves to. Then use the RIPE 'whois' to find
>> out the ISP who has that IP block. Then contact that ISP.
>>
>> Or, more crudely (and may amount to the same thing) find out who is
>> running the DNS for that domain, and pull the DNS.
>
> First thing is to find the ISP hosting the site, as suggested above,
> then prove who you are and get login details, like username and
> password. Then you can delete the sites content, or better still
> provide a forwarding/redirect page, so that regular users that return
> from bookmarks can find the new site.
> You may however find that the hosting ISP will need some very
> convincing evidence that you are legitimate (like having their
> original paperwork) since they would be legally liable for
> any claim made against them. You are up against a minefield,
> registration is done through agents, and there is therefore the
> primary registering agency (ICAAN, Nominet etc),

He means ICANN (not ICAAN)

> then the agent
> that registered on behalf of, and the ISP doing the hosting,
> who may not be the agent who did the registration. The primary
> registration agency may be uncontactable, and nobody talks
> to anyone else, or keeps accessible records, unless they
> want money, then they emerge from the woodwork.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> On 13-Dec-2005, "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Probably not quite the right approach....start by finding out what IP
>> address the domain name resolves to. Then use the RIPE 'whois' to find
>> out the ISP who has that IP block. Then contact that ISP.
>>
>> Or, more crudely (and may amount to the same thing) find out who is
>> running the DNS for that domain, and pull the DNS.
>
> First thing is to find the ISP hosting the site, as suggested above,
> then prove who you are and get login details, like username and
> password. Then you can delete the sites content, or better still
> provide a forwarding/redirect page, so that regular users that return
> from bookmarks can find the new site.
> You may however find that the hosting ISP will need some very
> convincing evidence that you are legitimate (like having their
> original paperwork) since they would be legally liable for
> any claim made against them. You are up against a minefield,
> registration is done through agents, and there is therefore the
> primary registering agency (ICAAN, Nominet etc),

He means ICANN (not ICAAN)

> then the agent
> that registered on behalf of, and the ISP doing the hosting,
> who may not be the agent who did the registration. The primary
> registration agency may be uncontactable, and nobody talks
> to anyone else, or keeps accessible records, unless they
> want money, then they emerge from the woodwork.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> On 13-Dec-2005, "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Probably not quite the right approach....start by finding out what IP
>> address the domain name resolves to. Then use the RIPE 'whois' to find
>> out the ISP who has that IP block. Then contact that ISP.
>>
>> Or, more crudely (and may amount to the same thing) find out who is
>> running the DNS for that domain, and pull the DNS.
>
> First thing is to find the ISP hosting the site, as suggested above,
> then prove who you are and get login details, like username and
> password. Then you can delete the sites content, or better still
> provide a forwarding/redirect page, so that regular users that return
> from bookmarks can find the new site.
> You may however find that the hosting ISP will need some very
> convincing evidence that you are legitimate (like having their
> original paperwork) since they would be legally liable for
> any claim made against them. You are up against a minefield,
> registration is done through agents, and there is therefore the
> primary registering agency (ICAAN, Nominet etc),

He means ICANN (not ICAAN)

> then the agent
> that registered on behalf of, and the ISP doing the hosting,
> who may not be the agent who did the registration. The primary
> registration agency may be uncontactable, and nobody talks
> to anyone else, or keeps accessible records, unless they
> want money, then they emerge from the woodwork.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jonathan Sklan-Willis <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> He means ICANN (not ICAAN)
>
I think you have made your point - (3 times)!
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Jonathan Sklan-Willis <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>
>> He means ICANN (not ICAAN)
>>
> I think you have made your point - (3 times)!
> --
> Cheers,
> Tim
Sorry, problem with ntl! It said it wasn't sending but ended up 3 times.