Meh, in 2000 they hit some milestone and made a big deal about it:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/00/02/24/0954216/slashdots-10000th-story
Seriously though, I remember /. from before user accounts. You optionally could write your name under a post, or be anonymous. Due to privacy concerns I held off creating an account for a long time, and I lost my 1st login so I'm on my second account now. I've wasted a lot of time on this site and occasionally return.
The discussions back then were a lot more interesting and in depth, I really miss those. Sometimes a gem pops up and really enlightens me on a subject or gives me a new perspective.
And CowboyNeal was a revered member in the slashdot polls, now he feels like some abandoned toy in the attic, and I wish he wasn't because the option sparked some great (silly) discussions.