People finding out your IP isnt the end of the world. Most ISP's use dynamic numbers that change whenever you connect. It is true that those who have broadband stay longer with the same IP, but still, ISP's don't inform others about the private informations of the IP's "holders", unless there's a strong reason to do it.
The most you can get is the country the person is in. Maybe the state, if the internet provider only reaches a small area. However, that hardly can drive the "freak" into your house.
I am not saying that IRC is safe. Internet is not safe if you're not careful (and sometimes, even if you are!), but there is no base to ask for a huge system (protocol, maybe?) - that has been working since 1988 - to change.
Firewalls, anti-virus and proxy servers help hiding your information and getting you safe. Internet Explorer, as you mention, lets hundrets of cookies in your PC without you even know! I chose to use Opera instead of IE, and yet I run Ad-aware everyday and find cookies and browser hijackers. IRC isn't definately the main thing that allows ppl to find out your IP and/or your coutry. Most pages get your IP as soon as you access it!
At last (I dont like writing long posts, I feel I make too many grammar mistakes :P), the person's IP - numeric or not - are the main bases to set a ban and protect your channel or network from abusers and DDoS'ers. Heck, without an IP you would not be able to use internet!
I hope this can show that IP's aren't
the information that ppl need in order to harass. Your e-mail, for example, gets more attention than your IP: spams are a plague hard to get rid of, and you just need an email addy. That said, I should get back into my cave.
Greetings,
Zyzzyx.
Edit: I have just looked up my IP address on Network Solutions: turns out that, according to the page, I'm in Montevideo, Uruguay! I can assure you that I'm not even close to Uruguay, even though it is in the same continent.
