Journal MyLongNickName's Journal: Slashdot ID's by year 18
I've asked the question and so have a lot of slashdotters... Given a slashdot ID, when did it become active? Okay, this is less than perfect, but after a couple hours reviewing December 31 story postings for the past 14 years, I have a pretty good idea of which Slashdot ID's were active by end-of-year.
Date Highest ID Source
12/31/2011 2537066 http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2597818&cid=38540924
12/31/2010 1968314 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1931212&cid=34724780
12/31/2009 1711968 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1494398&cid=30626214
12/31/2008 1435429 http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1074965&cid=26264019
12/31/2007 1210278 http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=402646&cid=21872504
12/31/2006 1045190 http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=214364&cid=17417768
12/31/2005 942449 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=172606&cid=14371693
12/31/2004 840443 http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=134485&cid=11229842
12/31/2003 735991 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=91126&cid=7847024
12/31/2002 636838 http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=49387&cid=4989860
12/31/2001 545364 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=25495&cid=2769167
12/31/2000 267378 http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9653&cid=1419014
12/31/1999 131305 http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3140&cid=1427714
12/31/1998 ??? No posts in 1998, yet I see a usre id of 170,000+ on 1/1/1999. Does not correspond with 12/31/1999 findings.
This doesn't seem right. (Score:2)
I created my Slashdot ID in early 1999 I think. Though it's possible I just started reading in 1998 and resisted creating a Slashdot ID until later.
Re: (Score:2)
Not sure how that would make it inaccurate.My 12/31/1998 finding seems off, but I made a note of that on the table. I think the posting system was borked and never locked the stories to new comments, and the comment dates are inaccurate.
The 12/31/1999 story shows there were over 130,000 registered users. So, if IDs started in late 1998, your ID corresponds to an early 1999.
Re: (Score:2)
Oops, I misread it. I mistook the SID for user id. Yes, you're right.
Enter the Shills? (Score:2)
This is a neat little chart that explains a lot.
With some wrinkles, we were at some 100k-200k new users per year.
So what's with the 600,000 users that showed up in 2011?! All the old timers have been saying "Slashdot is fading etc." Per the sale recently, so a 600% growth of users in one year "isn't worth focusing on"?!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I included links to support my estimations just in case someone wanted to research it further on their own. The weakness in my method is that folks who create accounts and don't post are not taking into account. Also, I did a very cursory scan maybe looking at a couple hundred posts for each year. Having said that, I'd be surprised if I were off by more than a couple percentage points for any given year.
Re: (Score:2)
Thanks! Glad you find it useful.
I have noticed that there are large blocks of IDs that have no user name associated with it. I am wildly speculating that automated programs or low cost agents are attempting to creating accounts in mass. I have no evidence to back this up, just the blocks of IDs and the large increase in accounts.
On the plus side, it means our six digit accounts will soon seem like low id numbers!
What a long strange trip it has been (Score:3)
I am not even sure what year I started haunting this place....but for some strange reason I liked it back then
One more data point (Score:2)
Another account of mine, UID 101k, had its first post on
October 12 1999, @08:58PM
8501 / 1999 (Score:2)
Re:89 / 1998 (Score:3, Informative)
I'm 89, and as far as I remember, I created the account within an hour or so of the announcement of the new account system.
Re: (Score:2)
Yup. The largest number I saw on December 31, 1999 is 131,305. The format of my table seems to be confusing some people. If I get around to doing more research to give finer detail on the dates, I will consider a different format to make it a bit easier to read.
My biggest puzzle, I think, is how the old posting system used to work. I saw some very high IDs posting on an article on 1/1/1999 that couldn't have been around on that date or anywhere close to that date. I think the old system never closed commen
I never paid attention to these things (Score:2)
Unless I felt the need to rub my (relatively) low number into someone's face....
I guess I came here in 97 or 98. But I don't know. I don't even know how much I care.
seems legit (Score:1)
I think that table is mostly correct. I remember creating my account sometime during the dregs of 1998 or the first couple of months of 1999 and I've got a reasonably low slashdot id.
Re: (Score:2)
Right. I registered early February 2003, with an id of (645377), which is 10,000 users past the 636838 on 12/31/2002
My God... (Score:2)
I just can't remember!
It feels like Slashdot was always here, on the Internet, since my first account in 1996...
Re: (Score:2)
73357 FP on 9:52 13 August 1999 (Score:1)
I know I started lurking in late 1998, don't remember when exactly I registered.
But my ID is 73357 and my first port was on 9:52am 13 August 1999.
-OZ