By the time we got to Woodstock...

February 19, 2007 8:33 AM

A new milestone passed. Say hello to elricky, roustem, antareus, waitingtoderail, Koko, pjlennon, missouri_lawyer, nikirobertson, and esolo: among the first of metafilter's 50kers.
posted by cortex to MetaFilter-Related at 8:33 AM (155 comments total)

Of course, that doesn't put us at 50,000 registered users, let alone 50,000 active users—there are a lot of signed-up but not-yet- or never-to-be-activated accounts (which is it going to be for this one?), but, well, yes. Wow.

Welcome, guys.
posted by cortex at 8:35 AM on February 19, 2007

That being the gender-neutral form of guys, naturally. Folks. People. Mefites.
posted by cortex at 8:36 AM on February 19, 2007

lol n00bs
posted by keswick at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2007

That's so numerist.
posted by Roger Dodger at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Hey, what's up?
posted by boo_radley at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2007

Whoa, I'm below the halfway point now, and I regisered in mid-2005. Matt must be making a killing just from new user signups.
posted by danb at 8:45 AM on February 19, 2007

Wow, we're 10k away from me being middle-aged, in MeFi years.

*Buys flashy convertible, hair piece*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:46 AM on February 19, 2007

aren't they all supposed to be sending checks to us lower members?
posted by lester's sock puppet at 8:57 AM on February 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

But I still feel like a n00b.
posted by gaspode at 8:58 AM on February 19, 2007

I am favorably inclined toward the Whiskeytown reference in waitingtoderail's name. I'm going to take a wait-and-see attitude toward the rest of you.
posted by veggieboy at 9:05 AM on February 19, 2007

Koko likes blue and green Metafilters. Koko wants orange. Grey makes koko cry.

Couldn't resist. Welcome all!
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:08 AM on February 19, 2007

anyone want a 4 digit ICQ UIN?!?!?
posted by quarter waters and a bag of chips at 9:10 AM on February 19, 2007

Koko, are you Monkeyfilter Koko?
posted by By The Grace of God at 9:11 AM on February 19, 2007

There goes the neighborhood.
posted by Dave Faris at 9:13 AM on February 19, 2007

Koko, is that you?
posted by phaedon at 9:16 AM on February 19, 2007

Goddamn, cortex, they've just arrived and you're calling them out in MeTa already. Harsh City.
posted by chrismear at 9:21 AM on February 19, 2007

Mark 10:31
posted by Burhanistan at 9:21 AM on February 19, 2007

Folks. People. Mefites.

Anthrocentrist! How dare you assume all our members are human! I, for one, am large-brained salamander with big fingers.
posted by jonmc at 9:22 AM on February 19, 2007

Hey noobs, betcha don't know what "." means...
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:26 AM on February 19, 2007

After lurking for a long time, I decided to start checking regularly for the existence of User 44999, so when I registered I could be 45000. I think you can all see what ended up happening.
posted by Partial Law at 9:28 AM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

People should only get UIDs when they actually pay, that way we'll know exactly how much money matt is making!
posted by delmoi at 9:35 AM on February 19, 2007

Missed it by that much.
posted by Señor Grumpus at 9:35 AM on February 19, 2007

oh man whiskeytown... i almost forgot ryan adams used to be good.
posted by keswick at 9:45 AM on February 19, 2007

So I'm watching the Simpsons last night (I know, I know. Sharks and jumping and all that,) and a commercial for the Simpsons movie comes on where the In A World guy says, "An event eighteen years in the making..." and I go all, "Holy shit! The Simpsons has been on eighteen years?!?" The Simpsons can vote. The Simpsons can go to war. The Simpsons can take its top off for Joe Francis (although he probably would have let The Simpsons do that last year and fudge the paperwork.)

I remember when it all started. And it made me feel really old.

This post is having a similar effect.
posted by Cyrano at 9:45 AM on February 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

they're all dhoyt.
posted by quonsar at 9:57 AM on February 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

I'm glad that none of them appear to be sockpuppets.

Welcome new blood!
posted by dios at 10:05 AM on February 19, 2007

Hugs!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:12 AM on February 19, 2007

And not a single one of them turning up for the party in their honour, how totally fucking gauche.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:17 AM on February 19, 2007

I think waitingtoderail and missouri_lawyer are tied for Bestest Username (though the latter loses points for the ugly underscore). Welcome all, and don't forget to tip the wonderchicken!
posted by languagehat at 10:20 AM on February 19, 2007

Koko, are you Monkeyfilter Koko?

By the Grace of God, I am.
posted by Koko at 10:22 AM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter: Tastes a little dry.
posted by phaedon at 10:24 AM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Let me help you derail. Call me?
posted by Dizzy at 10:34 AM on February 19, 2007

they're all dhoyt.

Except for one, who is Pretty Generic pretending to be Dhoyt pretending to be a new user.
posted by greycap at 10:44 AM on February 19, 2007

What? New users are getting IUDs? I knew I shoulda waited!
posted by Kirth Gerson at 10:48 AM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Behold ye the perils of shooting for a round user number, and despair.
posted by Quadroonian at 10:59 AM on February 19, 2007 [3 favorites]

Earliest recorded user (besides Matt).
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:01 AM on February 19, 2007

You kids get off my lawn!
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:02 AM on February 19, 2007

People should only get UIDs when they actually pay

on the other hand, people should get IUDs for free
posted by matteo at 11:02 AM on February 19, 2007

don't touch my stuff and stay on your side of the room.
posted by Stynxno at 11:04 AM on February 19, 2007

Dibs on antareus! I need a new pet.
posted by Rumple at 11:10 AM on February 19, 2007

Welcome 50Kers! I don't feel so lowly anymore.
posted by amyms at 11:20 AM on February 19, 2007

I, for one, welcome our new 50K overlords.
posted by longtime_lurker at 11:25 AM on February 19, 2007

So does this mean you're going to stop telling the 40k'ers to get off your lawn?
posted by ninjew at 11:32 AM on February 19, 2007

Welcome all of you! enjoy! Email me or others with questions if you have em. : >

(and ignore the cranky old people--i wonder if i am one now? it seems like a hundred years ago my 14k group was new)
posted by amberglow at 11:36 AM on February 19, 2007

Earliest recorded user (besides Matt).

No, he isn't. mathowie auctioned that number to the highest bidder. See here.
posted by timeistight at 11:36 AM on February 19, 2007

This looks like the right place to ask if it is ok to say that this is the first time I have posted to Metafilter. Now, over to Luton.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 11:39 AM on February 19, 2007

Matt, have you checked to see if there are any U6K (user number of six digits) problems to be fixed? If not, it might be time to start!
posted by yhbc at 11:39 AM on February 19, 2007

If anyone wants to buy a pass so you can use the rooftop pool, I have them for only $10 each. Email in profile.
posted by Falconetti at 11:41 AM on February 19, 2007

No, he isn't. mathowie auctioned that number to the highest bidder. See here.

Then who's the earliest real user?

and how much for #5 spot?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:42 AM on February 19, 2007

Hah! I got a sweet, round usernumber without even trying. Hell, I thought I'd screwed up the registration so I didn't actually start using my account until gadzoinks later. Does anyone remember when 14k-ers got spat on in airports returning from Nam in threads for being barely literate mongrels and highly inconsiderate wastrels? Those were the days, eh?

As to lowest-number recorded user, jeffp is the one, but he's only ever posted once, and under spurious circumstances. Among MeFi conspiracy types, it is widely believed he's the original sockpuppet, belonging either to #1 or (possibly, and this is considered a highly contentious claim) to dhoyt, who managed to register a sockpuppet a year before joining. The oldest user to have any sort of posting history is jjg, who still hangs around as the MetaFilter equivalent of Tolkien's Treebeard.
posted by Kattullus at 11:47 AM on February 19, 2007

Where do I find my user number? It's not in my profile.

Also, where did that wallet inspector go? He said he'd be right back.
posted by Koko at 12:02 PM on February 19, 2007

its 50014. in your url. wake up noobs!
posted by phaedon at 12:04 PM on February 19, 2007

I read in my MeHoro today that 39Kers are compatible with 11K, 28K, and 43Kers. Also, that I will feel betrayed by a user I formerly admired and respected.
posted by yeti at 12:08 PM on February 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

*stabs yeti in face, steals girlfriend*
posted by cortex at 12:10 PM on February 19, 2007

Yeah, but the real question is "Why?" This place hasn't been cool since 3/24/05.


"If anyone wants to buy a pass so you can use the rooftop pool, I have them for only $10 each. Email in profile."

I've got elevator permits.
posted by klangklangston at 12:16 PM on February 19, 2007

Koko: "Also, where did that wallet inspector go? He said he'd be right back."

Give me your cell phone and I'll go find him for you.
posted by Plutor at 12:24 PM on February 19, 2007

There aren't many of us 7k'ers left, but than I realized cortex was among our ranks, and I felt something warm inside. For a moment I thought it was pride, but then I realized my cat had peed on me.
posted by drezdn at 12:43 PM on February 19, 2007

languagehat writes "I think waitingtoderail and missouri_lawyer are tied for Bestest Username (though the latter loses points for the ugly underscore)."

Ugly my ass.

Underscoreist.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:45 PM on February 19, 2007

Noobs! Ah, that takes me back to November 18, 2004 when mathowie opened the floodgates and the unwashed lurkers rushed in. The stated population was in the 16000s - then came the $5.00 noobs. Several 100 signed up in one day.
posted by Cranberry at 12:46 PM on February 19, 2007

Someone should email them the FAQ. Actually, we should totally have a "Metafilter Welcoming Committee" or something.
posted by frecklefaerie at 12:48 PM on February 19, 2007

Actually, we should totally have a "Metafilter Welcoming Committee" or something.
posted by frecklefaerie at 2:48 PM CST on February 19

Count me in!
posted by dios at 12:56 PM on February 19, 2007

As I watch you all push furniture up the stairs, put your names on the mailboxes, and start getting settled in, all I can think is "thank god for rent control".
posted by ewagoner at 12:58 PM on February 19, 2007

Actually, we should totally have a "Metafilter Welcoming Committee" or something.

So long as it doesn't consist of a committee of people holding tire irons and socks filled with coins, I think that's a wonderful idea.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:19 PM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

[fills sock with coins]
posted by nicwolff at 2:06 PM on February 19, 2007

frecklefaerie:"Actually, we should totally have a "Metafilter Welcoming Committee" or something."

Well, I brought the donuts and coffee. Somebody make a "WELCOME NEW MEFITES!" sign with some markers and we can go hang out in the lobby and have nervous, tentative conversations with everybody that walks in.
posted by koeselitz at 2:07 PM on February 19, 2007

As to lowest-number recorded user, jeffp is the one, but he's only ever posted once, and under spurious circumstances. Among MeFi conspiracy types, it is widely believed he's the original sockpuppet, belonging either to #1 or (possibly, and this is considered a highly contentious claim) to dhoyt, who managed to register a sockpuppet a year before joining.

jeffp was my coworker at UCLA at the time. He was a windows asp/visualbasic/ms-sql guy and actually helped me setup the first database and some of the harder sql queries.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:08 PM on February 19, 2007

I was told there was a separate MeFi welcoming committee to deal with the "hotties." Unfortunately, I have never been able to meet them, and cannot find their offices.
posted by klangklangston at 2:31 PM on February 19, 2007

As I watch you all push furniture up the stairs, put your names on the mailboxes, and start getting settled in, all I can think is "thank god for rent control".

: >

I'm glad it's not such an issue anymore--a division bet those who paid and those of us who got in before then. I think there are now far far more paying members (oh, Customer Service is in the back on the left, behind that barbed wire and glowing leaky stuff)
posted by amberglow at 2:35 PM on February 19, 2007

I prefer to think of MetaFilter as a large office building. The lower your user number, the higher up your office is. Sub-10k users have large offices with windows in the clouds, while the new 50kers have cubicles in the basement.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 2:42 PM on February 19, 2007

Well, I brought the donuts and coffee. Somebody make a "WELCOME NEW MEFITES!" sign with some markers and we can go hang out in the lobby and have nervous, tentative conversations with everybody that walks in.

I see you've come early to a MeFi meet-up.

Oh, and mathowie, I was just making a funny, and referencing the only comment jeffp ever made: "If you're not 2 digits or less, then your user number is crap!" I didn't think he was an actual sock-puppet, I was just poking fun at the general air of paranoia that leads to 9* wrong sock-puppet call-outs. But a lot of people assumed jeffp was one when he made his one and only comment.


*Note: That number was pulled out of the organ that interfaces between my innards and the outards.
posted by Kattullus at 2:45 PM on February 19, 2007

Well, I for one, welcome our new 50,000...

(no, wait...)

Surely this will...

(um, that's not it...)

PANCKAES!

*fires up Peter Gabriel's You're not One of Us*
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:01 PM on February 19, 2007

(though the latter loses points for the ugly underscore)

/cries
posted by the_bone at 3:07 PM on February 19, 2007

I prefer to think of MetaFilter as a large office building. The lower your user number, the higher up your office is.

Yep, I'm on the top floor with matt and jess and jonmc. A lot of old skool bloggers have offices here, but don't come in much anymore. quonsar's here too, but as a higher three-digit, he doesn't have a window; probably why he's always been so cranky. The morning elevator ride is the longest part of my commute*, and if the terrists at Farkqueda ever fly a plane into the MetaTower, no way I'm getting out alive.

*I've heard people say the elevator takes longer every day, but since the MetaTower is constantly being built up from the bottom, I guess it's true here.
posted by wendell at 3:16 PM on February 19, 2007

And it's never too early to start planning for User #100000.
posted by wendell at 3:17 PM on February 19, 2007

This place sure has changed since I moved here in November of Aught,4. Back then this was farm land as far as the eye can see, and we didn't have your fancy youtube-filter or your newfangled music, We had Cat Scans over and over and we liked them!!
posted by Megafly at 3:40 PM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

I have the dubious honor of being one of those April 1st accidents...
posted by grateful at 3:53 PM on February 19, 2007

Ah, that takes me back to November 18, 2004 when mathowie opened the floodgates and the unwashed lurkers rushed in.

I have since washed. At least once.

See if I invite you on MY longboat again. Hrmph.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:04 PM on February 19, 2007

7K 4-EVER, FUCKERS! (Best thousand.)

Most disappointing thousand? 14K and they know it.
posted by ColdChef at 4:19 PM on February 19, 2007

hey!
posted by found missing at 4:44 PM on February 19, 2007

Most disappointing thousand? 14K and they know it.

~smirk~
posted by timeistight at 4:47 PM on February 19, 2007

It would have been a lot cooler if I'd got 6550 for my #. And Arnab Sen's not even using it. *sob*

With the numbers of people joining now, I don't know how one would get the same # for the username. It'd be quite lame to for 50026 to be 50027.
posted by 6550 at 4:52 PM on February 19, 2007

"*I've heard people say the elevator takes longer every day, but since the MetaTower is constantly being built up from the bottom, I guess it's true here."

I press every button.
posted by klangklangston at 5:10 PM on February 19, 2007

50,000? Jesus. I'm a 17Ker, and I still feel like a n00b.
posted by brundlefly at 5:10 PM on February 19, 2007

Anyone with more than 3 digits in their user # is clearly a n00b.
posted by litlnemo at 5:11 PM on February 19, 2007

MeFi urban legend: when mathowie dies, all our user numbers shift up by one.

Patience hoverboards, climb the ladder...
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 5:15 PM on February 19, 2007

Also, you get an A- for all your classes that term.

Because you have time to study.
posted by klangklangston at 5:24 PM on February 19, 2007

how many of them are p_g or dhoyt?
posted by shmegegge at 5:28 PM on February 19, 2007

....DAM IT, I told you Nero Wolfe would make a horrid Dungeon Master...{wrong thread}
welcome new ones.
long live the 7k cabal
posted by clavdivs at 5:28 PM on February 19, 2007

the new 50kers have cubicles in the basement

Dude, they're totally growing magic mushrooms down here.

No, you can't have any.
posted by Koko at 5:36 PM on February 19, 2007

With the numbers of people joining now, I don't know how one would get the same # for the username. It'd be quite lame to for 50026 to be 50027.

In fact, it's basically impossible to pull off, I think, unless you plan ahead and are kind of a pain in the ass. There's no difference between the page served for a unpaid registration and an unclaimed number; and you can't verify what number has been assigned to an account until you register it.

So if you were deadset on getting a specific number, you could do this:

1. Start to register a junk account with a throwaway name. Proceed as far as the "thanks for registering" page, and pull the assigned usernumber from the content of the paypal link on that page.

2. Figure out the difference in usernumbers from the current account you just registered (but don't intend to actually activate—that'd run you an extra $5!).

3. Proceed to register enough junk accounts (that you will also never activate, natch; that'd run you an extra $5n bucks!) to increment the usernumber count. You'll be checking for gaps along the way to avoid getting caught out by other folks thoughtless registering accounts during your spree.

4. Register the actual account you want with what you now know (barring an unfortunately-timed last-second registration by someone else) to be the usernumber you want.

So that would probably work. But, despite usernumbers being an arbitrary and practically unlimited resource, that'd be sort of an abusive, asshole thing to do. So don't do it; or do it and get banned if Matt notices a sudden strange spike in registrations and notices the IP is consistent and etc.
posted by cortex at 5:37 PM on February 19, 2007

clavdivs!
posted by cortex at 5:39 PM on February 19, 2007

The cult of the low user number is a crock.
posted by Dave Faris at 5:43 PM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

clavdivs!

I feel sorry for those of you who missed clav's heyday.
posted by ColdChef at 5:46 PM on February 19, 2007

clavdivs needs to come back. This place needs more clav. He used to hang in #mefi back in the day (2002? 2003? God that feels like so long ago I can't remember).
posted by dios at 5:58 PM on February 19, 2007

16K REPRAZENT.
posted by emelenjr at 6:18 PM on February 19, 2007

cortex, that sounds like it probably would work, but way too much effort and it is kind of abusive.

It's not like there's some cachet associated with a "cool" number anyway. 1000 and 10000 are both basically inactive.
posted by 6550 at 6:26 PM on February 19, 2007

They say that 30k is the new 20k.
posted by milquetoast at 6:50 PM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

No, 30k is the new black. Fashionable, discriminated against by white power structures.
posted by klangklangston at 7:46 PM on February 19, 2007

may you give birth tae speccy bairns.
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:48 PM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Every time one of these user-number discussions comes up, I inevitably get "Hey Hey 16k" stuck in my head (although I change it to "14k" in my head, natch).
posted by whir at 7:55 PM on February 19, 2007

clav! : >

Most disappointing thousand? 14K and they know it.
: P

I think there are more of us remaining and still active than other influxes (our low expectations probably--we were never that impressed with -- nor scared by -- you old people)
posted by amberglow at 8:14 PM on February 19, 2007

Yeah, what he said.
posted by yhbc at 8:30 PM on February 19, 2007

See what I mean? Sad, pathetic creatures. Almost makes you feel sorry for 'em.

Almost. Vagisil.
posted by ColdChef at 8:46 PM on February 19, 2007

Wait. Interrobang is 14K? Holy shit. I may have to disrupt my entire world view.
posted by ColdChef at 8:48 PM on February 19, 2007

timeistight as well? Dammit. Can we just get a numerical listing of every member, along with their output?
posted by ColdChef at 8:52 PM on February 19, 2007

*Sub-2K user hauled up from lurking depths by deep-sea fishermen, explodes from pressure difference*
posted by JDC8 at 9:22 PM on February 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

So let's see. I'm now less than half the user number of the newbies here. I'm also nearly twice the age of most of the kids I see at indie rock shows. Does that even it out or double it?

oh god it sure was funny to see the kidz start up an actual mosh pit during "Revolver" at last month's local Mission of Burma geezer fest :)
posted by intermod at 9:26 PM on February 19, 2007

 _    _ _____ _     _____ ________  ___ _____   _   _  _____ _    _ | |  | |  ___| |   /  __ \  _  |  \/  ||  ___| | \ | ||  ___| |  | || |  | | |__ | |   | /  \/ | | | .  . || |__   |  \| || |__ | |  | || |/\| |  __|| |   | |   | | | | |\/| ||  __|  | . ` ||  __|| |/\| |\  /\  / |___| |___| \__/\ \_/ / |  | || |___  | |\  || |___\  /\  / \/  \/\____/\_____/\____/\___/\_|  |_/\____/  \_| \_/\____/ \/  \/                                                                                                                                         ___  ___ ___________ _____ _____ _____ _____ |  \/  ||  ___|  ___|_   _|_   _|  ___/  ___|| .  . || |__ | |_    | |   | | | |__ \ `--. | |\/| ||  __||  _|   | |   | | |  __| `--. \| |  | || |___| |    _| |_  | | | |___/\__/ /\_|  |_/\____/\_|    \___/  \_/ \____/\____/                                                                                           

posted by niles at 9:26 PM on February 19, 2007

One of us... one of us... one of us... one of us...
posted by miss lynnster at 9:42 PM on February 19, 2007

I claim this thread and all its riches for the glory of myself and my descendants.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:02 PM on February 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
BLACK GALE THEN VIOL
clavdivus!

Welcome, new MeFites (Meee-Fights) to MetaFilter (Meh-Ta Filter). There is no cabal.
posted by carsonb at 10:46 PM on February 19, 2007

oh, fuck. clavdivs!
posted by carsonb at 10:46 PM on February 19, 2007

Most disappointing thousand? 14K and they know it.
Oh, for fuck's sake, do we have to go through this palaver every time this comes up? Everyone knows that the 14k brigade, being those who had to bribe, sneak, hack or finagle their way in here, are the only ones who really care about being here. Anyone below that just waltzed up and filled in a form, anyone after that just paid $5 and filled in a form. I mean, where's the ritual, where's the dedication and suffering?

Where's the humanity?
posted by dg at 1:55 AM on February 20, 2007

Damnit, that didn't have quite the impact I wanted. I remember when <big> tags weren't filtered out. Don't get me started about <img>.
posted by dg at 1:58 AM on February 20, 2007

Well, I didn't waltz up so much as samba. Or maybe fandango. Whatever it was, it was sweet.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:05 AM on February 20, 2007

Hey clav.
Nice hips.
Cadillac hips.
Lacquered,
voluptuous,
divine,
shiny,
and retro red.
Rashly retro red.
Got a coupon?
posted by Opus Dark at 4:29 AM on February 20, 2007

50K! Jebus. That's a wholelottamefites.
posted by gummi at 4:54 AM on February 20, 2007

Everyone knows that the 14k brigade, being those who had to bribe, sneak, hack or finagle their way in here, are the only ones who really care about being here.

Precisely.

It took me months to figure out how to join. I jumped for joy when I finally figured out how.
posted by gummi at 4:57 AM on February 20, 2007

Months? It took me an hour and a half. I snuck in through the fact that Matt had disabled newuser1.cfm, but not newuser2.cfm - how about the rest of you 14Kers?
posted by Ryvar at 7:20 AM on February 20, 2007

Yeah, but I still got the coolest user number...
posted by Eirixon at 7:34 AM on February 20, 2007

I dunno, man. "Eirixon: Now with 66% more 111" may not be the sales pitch you want.
posted by cortex at 7:40 AM on February 20, 2007

I think that it would be mildly amusing to have the price of a new membership be inversely related to the amount of time since the last membership was purchased.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:45 AM on February 20, 2007

how about the rest of you 14Kers?

Well, yeah, but it was a really long hour and a half.
posted by timeistight at 7:50 AM on February 20, 2007

I think I signed up when there were 20 openings every day at noon or something. I just missed it for about a week in a row, until I decided to F5 the site into a near DoS to get in on time.

Yes, we 14Kers wanted it.
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 7:59 AM on February 20, 2007

Most disappointing thousand? 14K and they know it.

What dg said. But we don't take it seriously; we're comfortable enough in our greatness to be amused by the mock-insults of the lower orders numbers.

Also: clav!

Zippity-BOP!
posted by languagehat at 8:00 AM on February 20, 2007

Zippity-BOP!

Enough with the in-jokes, languagehat. Sorry, but they are both avoidable and stupid. Think of it as the price you pay for being part of a community.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:45 AM on February 20, 2007

This thread is meaningless without the contribution of those users with tastefully low user numbers.
posted by Jofus at 9:34 AM on February 20, 2007

Can we say "Mefisti" instead of Mefites?
posted by Mister_A at 10:21 AM on February 20, 2007

Perhaps "Mefioso".

Or, ooh, The Illumefiti? Wait, that sounds terrible.

Metafuddlians?
posted by cortex at 10:28 AM on February 20, 2007

Who else wants to join me in preparing a gauntlet for post 50kers to run through?

*cracks knuckles menacingly*
posted by drezdn at 10:33 AM on February 20, 2007

drezdn, you're just kind of pushing on your fingers and making popping noises with your mouth.
posted by cortex at 10:37 AM on February 20, 2007

Months? It took me an hour and a half. I snuck in through the fact that Matt had disabled newuser1.cfm, but not newuser2.cfm - how about the rest of you 14Kers?

You know...like walking uphill to school when I was a kid. And uphill home. In ten feet of snow. Wearing a coat of many colors...nevermind...

I exaggerated a bit...but not about the joy jumping.
posted by gummi at 10:44 AM on February 20, 2007

"Who else wants to join me in preparing a gauntlet for post 50kers to run through?"

A glove or a gantlet?
posted by klangklangston at 11:07 AM on February 20, 2007

No, no, we're going to make them play Gauntlet.
posted by cortex at 11:13 AM on February 20, 2007

Sweet! Mister A needs food badly.
posted by Mister_A at 11:31 AM on February 20, 2007

Unfortunately I could only find the new version of Gauntlet, but that shouldn't stop us. I get to be the wizard, noobs have to be the lady.
posted by drezdn at 11:52 AM on February 20, 2007

I think I signed up when there were 20 openings every day at noon or something. I just missed it for about a week in a row, until I decided to F5 the site into a near DoS to get in on time.

Yes, we 14Kers wanted it.

Yup--it took me 3 days til i got in on the noon thing. And it was noon pacific time, which is just wrong.
posted by amberglow at 12:08 PM on February 20, 2007

When the hell is noon pacific time anyway? It's like quarter past nine, right?
posted by Mister_A at 12:09 PM on February 20, 2007

This thread is tasteful without the contribution of those users with meaninglessly low user numbers.

Mainly posting (and proud of my high user number).

[JUST RIBBING]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:16 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

When the hell is noon pacific time anyway? It's like quarter past nine, right?

It's 2am next thursday. ; >
(actually it's 3pm normal time)
posted by amberglow at 12:19 PM on February 20, 2007

Enough with the in-jokes, languagehat
(come now, LH is the Johnny Cash of Mefi)

thanks for the warm Chef, AG, LH, cortex and OPUS.

umm, coming back...I'm not connected at home, gone luddite. but i like to watch and I've gone partly sane-really not all that comfortable with my old self (Blah-BLah) "here" as in politics.

even the emperor knew when to leave the battleground.
I'm now sure of it, concerning the other emperor in Washington, this was supposed to be a 6 month deal....MY GOD IM babbling, glibbling mouther.

point being to new ones, well don't post your agenda in the blue, save it for comments. Guess thats the only part I'm proud of....no FFP with mad-mad agenda driven dribble.
(AG i need a huge hug (:

also someone registered clavdivs.com ....anyone know who?
posted by clavdivs at 12:25 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

DIOS!!! you, you.
posted by clavdivs at 12:31 PM on February 20, 2007

...anyone know who?

It was not I, clavdivs.
posted by cortex at 12:35 PM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

And to think, I used to be embarrassed by my shamefully high 23k. Still, I overcame, and have become a wonderful and respected contributor to MetaFilter.

...Right?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:32 PM on February 20, 2007

Some of us don't care about user number. I signed up way early, forgot I had an account, signed up again, didn't do anything for years, started reading MeFi again, didn't remember the information for the old accounts, and then created the account I actually use, with a UID in the high 30,000s. I break out this account just to be all l33t 'n' stuff. :)
posted by Jen at 3:38 PM on February 20, 2007

Well, I'm still proud to have been a member for almost 7 years (though I was despairing a bit maybe a year ago, and not so proud), but I think a low usernumber is a poor indication of any positive traits other than endurance.

Favorites received -- even with the inevitable vote-whoring that systems like that encourage -- are a better measure, as are things like number of Ask questions answered, or general goodwill, or amusing flameouts and quiet returns or any number of other things.

Newbs, despair not. I have a dream that our 50K+ new users will one day post at a site where they will not be judged by the sequence of their accounts but by the content of their contributions.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:35 PM on February 20, 2007

point being to new ones, well don't post your agenda in the blue, save it for comments. Guess thats the only part I'm proud of....no FFP with mad-mad agenda driven dribble.
(AG i need a huge hug (:

/gives clav a gigantic hug--and a Glinda smooch on the forehead
(I miss you--come back, hon) : >

I'd add to clav's comments that it's not about your agenda but primarily about the content of the stuff you want to share with everyone (sometimes that has an agenda, and sometimes it doesn't but you think it's important because you have one, and sometimes it's just unreported or little-known stuff, and sometimes it's just too weird or cool or new not to share, etc...). And that people here are snarky and immediately will peg you as something or another, so be ready for that, and be aware of it.
posted by amberglow at 4:47 PM on February 20, 2007

... Still, I overcame, and have become a wonderful and respected contributor to MetaFilter.

...Right?

Yup--most people are, really. And i've been continually impressed by the waves of new people--i wish more would speak up more tho. (It's not as scary as it might seem)
posted by amberglow at 4:50 PM on February 20, 2007

As a 10k-er, I consider myself in the vanguard of the MeFi "sweetspot" - too many digits to get bogged down in the unseemly posturing of the dorks who had enough time on their hands and not enough social life to have even heard of this place before, say, early '01, and yet removed enough from the gaggle of raw, unwashed 30, 40 and now 50k-ers to give my starved ego and limited self-esteem a bit of boost when the chips are down. Or something...
posted by jalexei at 6:57 PM on February 20, 2007

I think there's something to be said about making a big deal for new members (pro or con)--or even just noticing--they are important and very welcome. Sort of a Horton Hears a Who thing, maybe, given our growing population.
posted by amberglow at 8:24 PM on February 20, 2007

goodnewsfortheinsane: It's absurdly proud. :)
posted by Jofus at 5:58 AM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

*gives clav another huge hug*

It's good to have you glibbling around these parts again, pardner.

And to anyone who says otherwise, me and Johnny have a reasoned response.
posted by languagehat at 6:22 AM on February 21, 2007

Elricky is a friend who lives just up the street from me. It really is a small world when you live in a quiet corner of Kyoto and your neighbor becomes a fellow Mefite. So now the next time we meet for a drink at Speakeasy, does it count as a meetup? Should we invite amberglow and make "SCODY" t-shirts and shout out Miguel?
posted by planetkyoto at 4:56 PM on February 21, 2007

By all means! (There have been a fair number of two-person meetups by now. It's the spirit that counts. That and the shoutouts.)
posted by languagehat at 5:27 PM on February 21, 2007

Should we invite amberglow and make "SCODY" t-shirts and shout out Miguel?
Of course, silly! : >

(i do still have to get there)
posted by amberglow at 5:33 PM on February 21, 2007