Here is how I eliminate spam on forums from publishing an addy. I do have a web site so I can use an unlimited amount of email addys. So I make one such as
forumks@cabaret-karaoke.com. Then on the server I forward to my hotmail address. When loogged in to msn live messenger when a topic is replied to it pops up lower right and notifys.
Another tool here.. Under the avatar of somebody online it has a online now link. Click it and you go to the viewonline php and it tells what each user is doing.