Black Cat Webcam question

[webmaster]

Posting this little widget apparently has caused some panic among some visitors that their IP number is being displayed to everyone. I guess I should have made it clear that your information is only being shown to you. No one else sees that information. Here is a warning on the site where I got the code:

These signs are created and served by our webserver in real-time for each person that views them. Your IP address and other information are only visible to YOU, not to others, but because people see their own IP address and computer information displayed on a blog or in a public forum, they think that their information can be seen by everyone!

I hope this eases the concerns that several of you have expressed. However, much of the information you see is logged by web servers every time you access them. There is no real anonymity on the Internet. If you illegally download music or movies, send threatening emails or use your computer for other illegal activity it is likely that the authorities could trace it back to you. If you are not doing anything wrong there is nothing to be too concerned about since the information is usually released only under a court order.

Although this forum's software knows your IP number, the only way I use it is to screen new members. If the IP number resolves to Romania or India, where hacking and spam are major industries, I usually reject the membership or immediately place it in moderation.

Sorry to hijack this thread with this. If this discussion continues I may move it to the Support Forum.