I think you guys are missing the point on Skype safety. It's not about some person finding your IP address and then sifting through every single person in your location to find you. IP alone isn't really enough to be incriminating; neither is a phone number area code or a fairly unique first name. But if you are able to stack evidence together it can make things shockingly easy.
For example, I tracked my own IP address from Skype to see how easy it was. You don't need internet savvy or extra programs and software, you need Google and a Skype username. With only those two things in mind I looked up my own IP address, and it pinpointed an area only blocks from my actual location. Well shit, that's terrifying! It doesn't really give anyone any extra information about me, though, does it? But now say someone looked that up already knowing some things about me. I talk about eating at In-n-Out a lot so that narrows it down to 5 states, possibly confirming (or at least adding weight to) my alleged location. I also sometimes drink out of a Whataburger cup, and the only two states that have a Whataburger (edit: as well as an In-n-Out) are Texas and Arizona. Now say someone has come into my room before and said, "Hey I recognize you-- you're Jessykah!" before I can ban them.
Any of these things on its own isn't particularly compromising, but when you add stuff together-- a 21-24 year old female named Jessykah from Arizona or Texas. Add the IP address and boom. Narrows down the search SIGNIFICANTLY. And if you think there aren't people who do this you're completely wrong. I've actually had people admit to me that they had tried their damnedest to look me up based on things they knew or surmised about me-- claiming they were "just curious". Awesome, dude, that's monstrously creepy! Even besides those people I've had some folks remember the most random things, stuff I forgot I had mentioned on cam-- the month of my brother's birthday, or the make and model of the first car I owned. You might not be one of those people but they do exist, even if they have no ill intent.
Although of course it would have to be the perfect storm-- someone who paid enough attention, model not using a VPN, a member who was intent on causing harm or distress to the model-- that doesn't mean one shouldn't take precautions. MOST people aren't crazy stalkers but you cannot tell which ones are. MOST people won't open my door and steal everything I own but I still lock my doors. MOST people don't want to mug me but I still carry pepper spray on my keychain.
Kudos. I tried to stalk myself to no avail, but now I kind of want someone else to try and stalk me. :greetings-waveyellow:
