Hmmm.... I think it is because they (mods) didn't like all the social purposes. That's why at the minimum it could at least just be a Mod list, it would make a lot of things easier.
I wouldn't mind a 'users active within the last hour' or something that way there is still some privacy, and then probably a 'hide from online list' option for people who really don't want to be seen.
I would say no. This would let some users see if it's fine to publish what ever they want. Anonymous online status would allow us to come on anytime and do random checks.
Hmm, this seems like a good idea to me. (For the mods) it would also help you keep track on who is online. The moderators should have the option of showing if they were online within the last hour or not.