You may notice a little number under the subject of this post and next to the date. It will look something like this:

(192.168.0.1)

This is an IP address. It can help you identify where someone is posting from, and whether they're for real or not.

Since the forums began, we have had various problems with people attempting to spoof their IP address or pretending they're someone they aren't. While we try our best to keep out these types of individuals, we still urge you to be careful who you share your confidence with on our forums.

IP addresses can help in this department, and if you have some technical know-how you can plug an IP address into a tool like the one at SamSpade.org and get valuable information about the user.

Of course, nothing is foolproof. And while it's tempting to throw care to the wind when corresponding online, we urge everyone to exercise caution as to where you place your trust and private or sensitive information.