most likely every website you join the administrators are able to see IP addresses other wise how are they supposed to block someone when they ban them or take administrative action like temporary suspensions of posting or or keeping someone off the website completely.

where I work we have a website forum for our clients and one for our employees. both of which the administrators have access to seeing IP addresses which has come in handy a few times for temporary suspension of posting rights of some teen agers who got out of control on the forum.

one thing I keep in mind when I am on line anywhere is that even if administrators dont give out IP addresses, there is always a way to find them...

example my wife last night googled her real name and another google search on her user names (we had a debate about how easy it is to locate someone online because one of her clients is being stalked by her ex) she was amazed that using both google chome and internet explorer her IP addresses came up for her laptop, her work computer, and her home computer along with posts and other online activities. she was also amazed that for as little as .99 cents on up to about 10 bucks, anyone can do a complete background check on her that includes everything from the moment she was born to the present, right down to every computer IP address she owned and used.

regardless of what the website rules are there is always somewhere out there a detailed log of your computer activities, posts and ip address.

I know having this amount of information about someone like their IP address at someones finger tips just by searching...what ever can make someone paranoid, uneasy.....I try not to worry too much about it but one general rule I have is that I dont put anything online that I would not want my family friends, and strangers to know. that way my personal life is as protected as I can be short of never using a computer or lap top ever again lol