I can track you down in under three minutes using a proxy server. Now what I cannot do is as at Yahoo where the e-mail is all internal and protected through their website. Once you move outside their protection you're open season. I suppose I could get through Yahoo's defenses but I have no desire.

It really isn't so much hacking the server as just acquiring your address.

Proxies run by the Government? I always see them mainly run by service providers or e-mail services themselves. Only servers I have encountered by government are Veteran's Administration and Social Security. Neither are proxy. Both are Secured and never leave their own enternal website services. Neither can you copy, print or relay the page.

Watch out for sites like Answerbag and My Space. Some administrators at both seem to sell information to Nigerian Scammers on people they dislike. Watch out for any webcam, interactive or IM site. And stay off all porn sites as they will stick you with so many viruses you will need a new computer. Not even multiple disk reformats will be an escape.