Mark,

The IP address is shown in the messages to help keep a few ipsy-dips from causing havoc on the board. Although we aren't having any problems now, we have had in the past and the available IP address helped to track them down. It was there so other users could help me.

Using usernames and passwords is not an option. It discourages new users from posting because they have to sign up first.

I can go either way with this, I don't really care right now because we aren't currently having any problems.

I don't understand what makes you think that having our ip addresses posted makes anyone here more of a target. Why would anyone looking to break into other peoples computers go to all the trouble of manually making a list of our IP addresses for a port scan? We have nothing special to offer. It's not like we share a common trait that would make our computers more enticing to a hacker. It makes more sense to me that one of us might get "discovered" by someone scanning a RANGE of IP addresses. There are thousands of vulnerable computers out there that are so easy to find and exploit, why do things the hard way and pick on us?

By the way, I agree with you about Steve Gibson's Sheilds Up at grc.com. Steve is truly a friend to the computer user and anyone who wants to check the security of their computer should give that site a shot.

Greg