Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is sfbaytimes.com legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns sfbaytimes.com?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for sfbaytimes.com. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
3 of 4 safety checks passed (Oct 26, 2026).
Registered 1998 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Sfbaytimes.com Gay and Lesbian Newspaper for the bay area of CA
San Francisco Bay Times is a weekly newspaper serving San Francisco's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, featuring news, event listings, resources, and personal ads. Published by Bay Times LLC, it has been a fixture in the local LGBTQ+ media landscape.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 28 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · one registrar since Sep 11, 2011 · no ownership change on record since 2009 · last checked Sep 24, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredMay 14, 1998sfbaytimes.com was registered on May 14, 1998.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 25, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described sfbaytimes.com from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023Said about itself in 2006Jul 1, 2006“Weekly newspaper serving San Francisco's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community, with news, event listings, resources, and personal ads.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006Current AboutUs recordJul 6, 2026 – Aug 25, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Registrar
GoDaddy.com, LLCGoDaddy.com, LLCSep 11, 2011 – Oct 26, 2026 (latest)Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Sep 11, 2011 and most recently on Oct 26, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 25, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsAug 4, 2009 – Jan 21, 2026Registration records for sfbaytimes.com are held from Aug 4, 2009 to Jan 21, 2026 (45 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No ownership changes recorded, 2009–2026
Zone file
No nameserver records held, May 2012 – Oct 2013Nameservers: freeformit.comSep 11, 2011 – May 23, 2012Registration records listed freeformit.com nameservers (ns1.freeformit.com, ns2.freeformit.com, ns3.freeformit.com) for sfbaytimes.com from Sep 11, 2011 to May 23, 2012.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)Nameservers: freeformit.comOct 18, 2013 – Nov 1, 2013freeformit.com (ns1.freeformit.com, ns2.freeformit.com, ns3.freeformit.com) were the nameservers listed for sfbaytimes.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Nov 1, 2013 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)Nameservers: linode.comJan 3, 2014 – Apr 3, 2018linode.com (ns1.linode.com, ns2.linode.com, ns3.linode.com…) were the nameservers listed for sfbaytimes.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Jan 3, 2014 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)DNS moved to linode.comJan 3, 2014sfbaytimes.com's nameservers moved from freeformit.com to linode.com at some point between Nov 1, 2013 and Jan 3, 2014. Last seen at freeformit.com: Nov 1, 2013 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). First seen at linode.com: Jan 3, 2014 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (ICANN zone-file snapshot → ICANN zone-file snapshot)Nameservers: linode.comNameservers: linode.comApr 4, 2018 – Jan 21, 2026Registration records listed linode.com nameservers (ns1.linode.com, ns2.linode.com, ns3.linode.com…) for sfbaytimes.com from Apr 4, 2018 to Jan 21, 2026. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)Seen in the .com zone fileSep 8, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026 (latest)First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Sep 24, 2026. Nameservers on Sep 24, 2026: ns1.linode.com, ns2.linode.com, ns3.linode.com, ns4.linode.com.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Sep 24, 2026
Certificate
DigiCert IncMar 31, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026DigiCert Inc issued 2 certificates for sfbaytimes.com from Mar 31, 2026, the latest valid until Apr 26, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (13)
May 14, 1998Registration: sfbaytimes.com was registered on May 14, 1998.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 25, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described sfbaytimes.com from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Weekly newspaper serving San Francisco's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community, with news, event listings, resources, and personal ads.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Aug 4, 2009 – Jan 21, 2026Ownership: Registration records for sfbaytimes.com are held from Aug 4, 2009 to Jan 21, 2026 (45 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Sep 11, 2011 – Oct 26, 2026Registrar: Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Sep 11, 2011 and most recently on Oct 26, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 25, 2026
Sep 11, 2011 – May 23, 2012Zone file: Registration records listed freeformit.com nameservers (ns1.freeformit.com, ns2.freeformit.com, ns3.freeformit.com) for sfbaytimes.com from Sep 11, 2011 to May 23, 2012.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Oct 18, 2013 – Nov 1, 2013Zone file: freeformit.com (ns1.freeformit.com, ns2.freeformit.com, ns3.freeformit.com) were the nameservers listed for sfbaytimes.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Nov 1, 2013 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Jan 3, 2014 – Apr 3, 2018Zone file: linode.com (ns1.linode.com, ns2.linode.com, ns3.linode.com…) were the nameservers listed for sfbaytimes.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Jan 3, 2014 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Jan 3, 2014Zone file: sfbaytimes.com's nameservers moved from freeformit.com to linode.com at some point between Nov 1, 2013 and Jan 3, 2014. Last seen at freeformit.com: Nov 1, 2013 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). First seen at linode.com: Jan 3, 2014 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (ICANN zone-file snapshot → ICANN zone-file snapshot)
Apr 4, 2018 – Jan 21, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed linode.com nameservers (ns1.linode.com, ns2.linode.com, ns3.linode.com…) for sfbaytimes.com from Apr 4, 2018 to Jan 21, 2026. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Mar 31, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: DigiCert Inc issued 2 certificates for sfbaytimes.com from Mar 31, 2026, the latest valid until Apr 26, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Jul 6, 2026 – Aug 25, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Sep 8, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026Zone file: First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Sep 24, 2026. Nameservers on Sep 24, 2026: ns1.linode.com, ns2.linode.com, ns3.linode.com, ns4.linode.com.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Sep 24, 2026
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (passed)
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (failed)
Add the HSTS, Content-Security-Policy, and X-Frame-Options response headers.
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered May 14, 1998 — 28 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: GoDaddy.com, LLC — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Aug 6, 2026).
Authority 50/100— ahead of 50% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
50 is a percentile: higher than 50% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #435,514)+5
Verified continuity: 28.5 years (RDAP registration)+11
Security & email hygiene+3
Calibration adjustment (published map)+8
Model score: 27/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 50/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 61 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 61 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
What sfbaytimes.com said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
Weekly newspaper serving San Francisco's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community, with news, event listings, resources, and personal ads.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.