This is a feature of pretty narrow appeal, so I don't think I'd want to clutter the source with it. (I'm not listed because no admins are, but the others don't have enough karma for it to matter.)
It's your call, I figured asking wouldn't harm. On my two bit websites adding that feature would take 10 minutes, and potentially the appeal is huge.
After all, for every person that removes themselves from the leaderboard another one gets the ability to make the decision.
Unless you think that the majority of the HNers is here to make it to the leaderboard, which is a possibility but I highly doubt that a majority here is taking the karma count as their reason for contributing.
edit: this is the third time in as many weeks that I get pretty negative email definitely caused by HN users, it's not at a level where I worry about it (that takes a lot more) but it is a nuisance and it spoils some of the pleasure of being here.
The biggest reason why I am here is because of the people, the second one is the ability to ask and answer 'Ask HN' style postings, the third is to learn and interact. None of that stands a chance of being harmed by a couple of idiotic emails.
I figure that by taking my name off the leaderboard I would make a statement about what I think HN is all about, which is not the leaderboard, anything but.
The silly emails just made me think about it, and in that sense they served a purpose. The alternative, to make another account is also a possibility but then I'm still taking up that slot.
Even if the leaderboard does serve a purpose, which to me is simply to distinguish the frequent contributors from the rest (but for that the leaderboard is actually too small since HN has far more than 100 frequent contributors). I have gone through ever single profile on the leaderboard and visited the sites of the people listed there to see what they're up to.
Why don't you get a new username without the karma burden ;) You can keep yourself recognizable if you want, just use jacquesm2 and put a short comment in your profile.
It's a matter of privacy. You have created this feature to reward participation, but someone who should be receiving that reward is telling you it is actually a curse.
It may be a narrow appeal, but it is being requested by someone who has demonstrated significant contribution to the community to be rewarded in about the only way one can be rewarded here and you won't free him from that which he considers a punishment.
