You don't have to provide the Skype/ICQ/Youtube links if you don't want to (I didn't). You can choose to make your email visible or not. You can add a link to a "home page" if you would like (as long as it doesn't violate the Guidelines ) or not.

If you're wanting updates for any threads that you've subscribed to, you can make changes to the frequency (instant, daily, weekly, or none) in your settings. There's also a sticky here that explains the tagging feature (I've got mine disabled).