Another day, another digit.

November 9, 2009 11:36 AM

User registrations are quickly coming up on 100k (Highest user number is around 99300 as of this posting). Are there any plans to either commemorate the occasion, or reserve the number?

I know that in the realm of Metafilter Lore, user numbers aren't supposed to mean anything, but this does seem like a milestone the site isn't likely to match anytime soon. Considering how lackluster the lucky users who got the other "10k multiples" are (either non-existent or non-contributing), how about an auction or some such thing?

posted by mkultra to MetaFilter-Related at 11:36 AM (74 comments total)

We've talked a little bit about reserving 100K for something special, but haven't come up with any really specific ideas. I do like the idea of an auction of some sort, if only as something silly to do. Maybe a charity fundraiser of some sort.

And we're at 99683, I believe, as of right now. The day approaches.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:39 AM on November 9, 2009

I wish my user number was prime. So close — 17428 = 2² × 4357.
posted by chunking express at 11:39 AM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Could one of the people who is good at doing fun things with data tel us how many of those 100k users are active?
posted by jefficator at 11:41 AM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Nah, I'm going to just sit smugly with the new found social capital of my *five* digit user number.
posted by JimmyJames at 11:44 AM on November 9, 2009

Umm...how does one tell what one's user number is and/or how many users there are at the site?

(Yes, I'm embarrassed to ask this!)
posted by zizzle at 11:52 AM on November 9, 2009

How about naming 100K "n00000b"?
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:54 AM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Click on your user profile and you'll see you user ID in the URL.
posted by COD at 11:54 AM on November 9, 2009

Wow, I'm just over 50k - that means I'm almost an upperclassman now, right?
posted by jpdoane at 11:57 AM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think you stop being a n00b once the total number of active accounts is greater than your user number. (I have no idea what the threshold is)
posted by shakespeherian at 12:02 PM on November 9, 2009

Use 100,000 as "Anonymous Coward" that any one can post comments from.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:05 PM on November 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

I have a prime user number!

However, that inspired me to check on users whose numbers are multiples of mine, as if they were my long-lost children or something. Man, how disappointing. Of my seven multiples, four are non-existent, and the three who are registered have a total of three posts and sixteen comments among them.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:08 PM on November 9, 2009

I assume everyone whose user number is higher than mine is a NOOB, and everyone whose user number is lower than mine is a NERDY-ASS-NERD.
posted by chunking express at 12:08 PM on November 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

Thank you, COD!
posted by zizzle at 12:13 PM on November 9, 2009

as I understand it, someone who fails to complete the signup process still uses up the next available ID. Now that Cortext let the cat out of the bag that we're only 316 aborted signups away from the big number, I'd be shocked if it was hours let alone days before we reached that number, with most of the 99900's being unused aborted signups.
posted by jermsplan at 12:17 PM on November 9, 2009

Hooray! Another arbitrary line on an arbitrary wall that I may measure myself and my successes against.

Boo! Another flag in the sand by which I can measure how little I have moved and how far there is still to travel.
posted by Jofus at 12:17 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I assume everyone whose user number is higher than mine is a NOOB, and everyone whose user number is lower than mine is a NERDY-ASS-NERD.
posted by 17428

Say that again and you're shining my shoes, n000b.
posted by COBRA! at 12:18 PM on November 9, 2009

I thought I had a prime user number, but alas, I am composite, thus desolate.
posted by maudlin at 12:25 PM on November 9, 2009

I think you stop being a n00b once the total number of active accounts is greater than your user number.

I don't think it is that simple, something to do with a cabal or something. They never told me about that.

I kinda like how my user number has four digits in descending order: 17654. See? 7654. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah I know.
posted by marxchivist at 12:27 PM on November 9, 2009

I say auction it off for a charity, and let that person decide what we do about favourites, or cap the number of users at 99,999 just for the hell of it.

My user number is 17244, which I have decided references the 17th February 1944. The date that the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll began.

It's also the zip code for Orrstown, PA. Exciting stuff.

On preview, I see that I am a NERDY-ASS-NERD too. Woohoo.
posted by knapah at 12:28 PM on November 9, 2009

I kinda like how my user number has four digits in descending order: 17654. See? 7654. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah I know.

Surely this puts you in the NERDY-ASS-NERD category, in which case you've just disproved chunking express' theory. Nicely done!
posted by FishBike at 12:28 PM on November 9, 2009

While we're talking about user numbers, what happened to users 2-7?
posted by Maximian at 12:33 PM on November 9, 2009

The brilliant number 1927 = 41 * 47 = 2^11 - 11^2. Note also that 1927 is an emirpimes because its reversal 7291 = 23 * 317 is also semiprime. Famous prime-researching mathematicians born in 1927 include Alexander Ivanovich Skopin (1927-2003) who studied groups of prime-power exponent; Yutaka Taniyama (1927-1958) whose conjecture was central to the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem by Wiles; and John Leslie Britton (1927-1994) expert on the word problem for groups.
posted by Skot at 12:34 PM on November 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

Astro Zombie 100k. The future in spacefaring cadavers. (order yours today)
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 12:39 PM on November 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

While we're talking about user numbers, what happened to users 2-7?

mathowie absorbed them for their power.
posted by zennie at 12:41 PM on November 9, 2009 [6 favorites]

That would be the hectokilomefite, yes?
posted by googly at 12:45 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

How about Matt picks a Donorschoose project and throws an auction up on ebay?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:45 PM on November 9, 2009

I'm not into this whole "winning the thread" deal, but I think we better give this one to Skot.
posted by marxchivist at 12:46 PM on November 9, 2009

(my 9yo son donated to a classroom and just got a packet of really neat letters from a bunch of 1st graders. His reaction: "I'm nice!!!")
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:46 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

As one of the n00biest of the n00bs, I look forward to the day when I can look upon those with numbers above 100k and revel in the joy of having only five digits in my user number.
posted by Salieri at 12:51 PM on November 9, 2009

"I know that in the realm of Metafilter Lore, user numbers aren't supposed to mean anything, but this does seem like a milestone the site isn't likely to match anytime soon."

That is something Number One would like us to believe, yes, but the truth is much darker!!!
posted by Kattullus at 12:52 PM on November 9, 2009

This sort of reminds me of a comment about increased general register sizes in computers. We're still going through the 32->64-bit transition. When the next one (64->128-bit) happens, it's quite possible none of the people doing the work for 32->64 will still be in the workforce for 64->128. They'll have to go through it without the experience of anyone who went through it before.

It took 10 years to get this far, so assuming there's not a huge increase in the rate of new sign-ups, it could be that the 5->6-digit user ID transition is the last one any of the current users will still be alive to see. That's sort of... depressing.
posted by FishBike at 12:58 PM on November 9, 2009 [4 favorites]

Hi, I'm Metafilter Lore!
posted by lore at 1:04 PM on November 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

New sign ups were a trickle until the $5 flood gates opened. It'll be a lot less than 10 years before our second 100K.
posted by Mitheral at 1:04 PM on November 9, 2009

New sign ups were a trickle until the $5 flood gates opened. It'll be a lot less than 10 years before our second 100K.

Yeah, but we've got to get to a million before user numbers get another digit longer.
posted by FishBike at 1:05 PM on November 9, 2009

User registrations are quickly coming up on 100k (Highest user number is around 99300 as of this posting). Are there any plans to either commemorate the occasion, or reserve the number?

Yes. After 100k, for every new account, another random account will be deleted.

They're calling it ....Carousel.
posted by The Whelk at 1:11 PM on November 9, 2009

...it could be that the 5->6-digit user ID transition is the last one any of the current users will still be alive to see.

Actually, it took over 5 years to get to 20K, so 80K in 5 years means the Millionth MeFite is less than 60 years away... BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE... The last couple 10K multiples took about 6 months to get to, so, assuming no further acceleration, we have only 45 more years...
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:15 PM on November 9, 2009

Hi, I'm Metafilter Lore!

I fought the Lore but the Lore won....
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:22 PM on November 9, 2009

Actually, it took over 5 years to get to 20K

Well, expect that registration was closed for a lot of that time.
posted by octothorpe at 1:27 PM on November 9, 2009

um, except.
posted by octothorpe at 1:28 PM on November 9, 2009

Hi, I'm Peter Lorre!
posted by maudlin at 1:29 PM on November 9, 2009

And we're at 99683, I believe, as of right now. The day approaches.

H̯̫ͥ͑͑̂e̪̖ͩ̈͌͌̇̓̃ ͙͆͐̅͗w̰̻̣͔͑͗̐͗̇ͮͫ̚h̶͉̳͍̻̯̐̂͛͘͞ͅö̷̖̰̠́̒̿̾ͭ̍̓ ̟̹̻̫̃̍̑̊̿̓̇̄ͣW̓̋ͫͪͤ̊̊͏̨̯̼̗̝̙͇͎͈̯a̸̡̫̹̹̰͈̺͗ͭ̓̑i̷͚̤̟͍̇̇͑́͒͆̏ẗ̸̴̷̤̘͙̱͔̤̦͔́̎̄̃͆͆ͦ̋s̴̸̙̖̟̳̉ͪ͐̄̓͊͂ ̦̄̀̍ͫͯ B̴̢̄ͩ̉̍̌̆̔̃̚͠ ̜̱̻̲̬̻̥ͅe̶̫̘̝̦̤̞̯ͮ̂̆̋̄̇h̜̹ͮ́̎͢i̵̡͚͚̘̹͙̺͑͛ͣ̏ͦ̑̓͑̚n̡̡̰̜͉̫̞͒̑͘d̠͓̘̱͊͋ ̗̻̣̱̳ͬ͋͌͟ͅT̶̗̬͍̓̿͗ͥ̆̔ͫͬh͍͑ͅẽ̷ͤ̏̎ͦͬ͏̪̪̦̘̖͙̱̱̫ ̸̷̢͕̏̐̎ͪ̿W͚̮̫͈̳̤͗ͮͯͧ̊͆̿͡͠ͅͅa͍͎̙̼ͫͬͫ͛ͦ́l̛̙̜̻̭͓̬̩ͨͣ̍l̨̡̖̖̼͗̇ͣ̔̈́ .̣̫̥̪̼̖̩̒ͬͩ̊ͣͣͪ́͡ͅ ͭ̐ͨ̉̉̊ͧͣͩ͏ ̧̦̟͎͙̥̭͉̱
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 1:30 PM on November 9, 2009

If we don't care about user numbers^* and there's no significance attached to any particular number, why would we consider this particular number special? It doesn't mark any particular milestone in users, just that x number of people have completed an on-line form and may or may not have done any more than that.

^* With the obvious exception of numbers beginning in 14
posted by dg at 1:35 PM on November 9, 2009

Hi, Metafilter Lore! Where's your brother, Metafilter Data? (I'm shocked that nobody had reserved the name, not even as a sockpuppet for cortex to use while data-mining!)
posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 1:35 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Another prime number in the house.
posted by peeedro at 1:38 PM on November 9, 2009

Somebody talking about me?

(Don't know about auctioning off #100000, but if I were to offer to sell this ID, I'd expect some spirited bidding from Cortex, Lore and Brent Spiner. But for now I'll only use this account when my meds are working too well and my emotions are fully neutralized.)
posted by Data at 1:45 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I predict either a FAILGET or MODGET.
posted by cimbrog at 1:49 PM on November 9, 2009

Data: Wynona Rider was a better android than you. Take that.
posted by qvantamon at 1:51 PM on November 9, 2009

Just to make sure you guys see this other MeTa post about upcoming user 100K, by user 1.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:54 PM on November 9, 2009

If we don't care about user numbers* and there's no significance attached to any particular number, why would we consider this particular number special? It doesn't mark any particular milestone in users, just that x number of people have completed an on-line form and may or may not have done any more than that.

Cars don't start shitting rainbows when the odometer rolls over, but it's still fun to watch the odometer roll over. That's about all there is to it, really; it's a fun if totally superficial ritual.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:03 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Oh yay, I'm prime too.
posted by langeNU at 2:07 PM on November 9, 2009

Oooh... my userid is pretty cool:

17609 is a prime number.

17609 has a representation as a sum of 2 squares:
17609 = 35^2+128^2

17609 is the hypotenuse of a primitive Pythagorean triple:
17609^2 = 8960^2+15159^2
posted by sbutler at 2:10 PM on November 9, 2009

Perhaps 100,000 should be greeted with a flashing, bouncing-about animated GIF saying

"Congratulations!!! You are the 100,000th member of this site!!! Click here to receive your special prize!!!"

the beauty of this plan is that you needn't fork out for any prize at all
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:21 PM on November 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

10513:
Prime
Sum of 72² and 73²
10513² = 145² + 10512² (a primitive Pythagorean triple)
10513 = 2³ 3³ 7² - 71

And it's the decimal character code for a rightward arrow with a dotted stem.
I feel special.
posted by Dipsomaniac at 2:22 PM on November 9, 2009

MetaFilter: a fun if totally superficial ritual.
posted by everichon at 2:37 PM on November 9, 2009

Cars don't start shitting rainbows when the odometer rolls over, but it's still fun to watch the odometer roll over.

I see that you don't drive a Prius.
posted by box at 2:45 PM on November 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

The Prius is like a Unicorn that you don't need to be a virgin to ride.
posted by qvantamon at 3:33 PM on November 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

My user number is the zip code for Dinosaur, Colorado, a town of 319 people. Behold!
posted by filthy light thief at 3:54 PM on November 9, 2009

Wolfram Alpha has some number stuff, but it's mostly boring. Otherwise, it could be May 10, 1981 (81/6/10), when François Mitterrand won the presidential election and became the first Socialist President of France in the French 5th republic.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:58 PM on November 9, 2009

My user number with zeroes on each end is actually about thirty miles from where my father lives. I don't know how I never noticed this before.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:05 PM on November 9, 2009

There is only one city named after a dinosaur in Colorado.
posted by qvantamon at 4:10 PM on November 9, 2009

My zero-padded userzipcode is Glenwood, New Jersey. Huh.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:18 PM on November 9, 2009

My user number is divisible by four.

So there.
posted by ook at 8:38 PM on November 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Woah, my user number is the zip code of Silverhill, KY which is about 30 minutes from where I grew up, ANNND the hometown of my first boyfriend. Oh metafilter, you rule my life in oh so many ways.
posted by banannafish at 9:04 PM on November 9, 2009

We're at 99712. So we're maybe four days away from it happening, though I guess there might be a rush on user numbers below 100K - maybe trying to get 99,999?
posted by crossoverman at 9:50 PM on November 9, 2009

100,000 in Maltese is "mitt elf". If you, in turn, google "mitt elf", you get web pages in Maltese and a sponsored link for an elf mitt.
posted by lukemeister at 9:58 PM on November 9, 2009

My user number is divisible by four.
So there.
That's nothing! Mine is divisible by 1!

*I'm number 1, I'm number 1, I'm number 1*
posted by dg at 12:49 AM on November 10, 2009

It's also the gene ID of Fibroblast growth factor-8 (FGF-8), which is an important signalling molecule in the generation and patterning of the mid-brain, tooth, and limb^*.

^* in chickens
posted by dg at 12:54 AM on November 10, 2009

I misread your footnote marker and thought you were number 1 in chickens. Now I am disappointed.
posted by ook at 4:23 AM on November 10, 2009

Hi, my name is PontifexPrimus and I have a prime as my user number.

The following info is all stuff I didn't know two minutes ago but now will probably never able to forget because of the tenuous connection to myself:

27689 has a representation as a sum of 2 squares: 27689 = 100^2+133^2
27689 is an odd number.
27689 and 27691 form a twin prime pair.
27689 is the hypotenuse of a primitive Pythagorean triple: 27689^2 = 7689^2+26600^2
27689 has the representation 27689 = 2^10 3^3+41

Google hits turn up mostly bug report numbers or other random stuff; it is also the zip code for Rich Square, NC, a town with less than 1000 inhabitants with 19% living below the poverty line.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 5:09 AM on November 10, 2009

*I'm number 1, I'm number 1, I'm number 1*

Assistant to the Regional Manager.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:39 AM on November 10, 2009

Well, after a day of Googling and Wolfram Alpha-ing and so forth with my user number, I conclude I have the most boring user number ever. It doesn't seem to even be a valid US ZIP code, and Canadian postal codes have letters in them, so it's not valid here.

It's not even interesting if I try to interpret it as a lat/long - 87 degrees is near the north pole and there's nothing there. I mean literally nothing - it's just a gray featureless area in Google Maps, the digital equivalent of Here There be Dragons.

Can I trade it for a more interesting number?
posted by FishBike at 8:10 AM on November 10, 2009

All I know is that my user number, when read in a sultry femme fatale voice, is really sexy.

I'm getting turned on just thinking about it.
posted by quin at 9:55 AM on November 10, 2009

FishBike writes "Can I trade it for a more interesting number?"

Number 100,000 is coming up soon. Shh! Don't tell anyone.
posted by Mitheral at 10:09 AM on November 10, 2009

I will bid 1000 gold doubloons and an ass loaded with frankincense and myrrh for the ability to have the 100,000th user account.
posted by reenum at 1:41 PM on November 10, 2009