When browsing the forums, are folks concerned about their IP and info being on here, and are therefore utilizing software such as TOR/VPNs/etc to hide themselves.
Your first question was clear enough IMO 
I don't see the point in hiding when browsing this BBS. Bitcoin is legal, my wallet isn't threatened by the fact that my IP is here, I'm not using the same credentials here as in any mining pool... Why hide more than by choosing an un-googleable nickname?