Lens protection: UV filter again

I remebered that Carl31 once said he got flare by using a skylight filter and he recommended a len's cap rather than a UV filter to pretect lens. Here is a link from www.photographytips.co​m: http://www.photography​tips.com/page.cfm/299

I think the use of the filter on the G2 is more to do with protecting the lens mechanism than the lens itself,the first time I let someone else look at my camera her 3 year old daughter came up and tried to push the lens back into the body,after that i got the Lensmate,whew!
KK