Answer.

This is why I think the "Email (optional)" box everyone sees when posting anything to the board is a trap that ought to be removed, especially for the benefit of new posters who may not have read the security posts and faq yet. If someone is just dying to reveal their email address, they can put it in the body of their note. But they shouldn't be prompted to include it, as if this was a normal chat board.

We do not think of the email box as a "trap". It's simply part of the board code, and no one is required to enter an address, hence the word optional.

You should note that we do tell posters when they register that they should not reveal their email address on GC, unless they do not use that address for anything related to their real life. We also stress that they should not post an email address at all, until they have been posting for some time. This is why we will edit out the email address of new posters, the first time they post (and give them the warning speech). Lastly, we always remind new posters to read the FAQ before they make their first post.

In the end, we do the best we can to keep everyone safe and secure. However, some people, no matter what we tell them, are going to do things to compromise their security and possibly their real life identity. That is simply a fact of on-line life, and there isn't anything we can do to change it. All we can do is try to minimize it.

Any other suggestions you may have would be more than welcome Minstrel.