I’ve been reading with great interest this whole discussion about
studio security. Being a computer and internet nerd first, I really
must caution everyone on the list who has registered their own domain
name – I.e. a “www.myname.com” type address.
An Orchid member - whom I shall not name to avoid drawing unwanted
attention - recently posted a few details about his/her studio, in
discussion about measures he/she has taken to enhance studio security
in general. Reading these details got me very worried – worried
enough to post and offer some advice.
If you have your own “www.myname.com” type web address, go to:
http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
and enter your registered domain name (your web address, minus the
“www” part.)
The next screen that comes up typically shows the names AND addresses
of the Registrant (you), as well as the Administrative and Billing
contact (likely to also be you) and the Technical contact (likely to
be your web hosting service).
The important thing to know is that ANYONE on the net can see this
about your domain registration. If, as the Registrant of
the domain, you have entered your home address – and your studio is
in your home – anyone in the world can know your home address and
subsequently where your studio is located. This should be of great
concern to ANYONE on Orchid who posts messages and inserts his/her web
site address in the signature of their message, or anyone who has
their web address on business cards, advertising, etc.
If this is you, I urge you to contact your ISP, your web hosting
service, or Network Solutions directly to edit the public-facing part
of your domain registration to REMOVE your home address.
If there is demand, I will happily post detailed instructions to
Orchid explaining how, through Network Solutions’ own web page, you
can edit this directly. (It typically takes a few days to
a week to actually get updated.) I suspect that some of you may
already know how to do this, as it is usually part of your domain
registration process.
I am a “full-time computer nerd” by day – but an impassioned and
devoted metalsmith at night. 
I hate to think of anyone taking
great pains to conceal the whereabouts of their home studio, just to
give it away to anyone with a web browser and a dialup internet
account.
Be safe.
Marc