# 65535 Unread messages **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 14, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332 "2008-05-14T20:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/1 "2008-05-14T20:27:33Z")
How did I get so popular all the sudden? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/2 "2008-05-14T20:42:02Z")
Hmm. That is strange. This is private messages? You don’t actually see anything, right? ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/3 "2008-05-14T20:57:18Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] Hmm. That is strange. This is private messages? You don’t actually see anything, right? [/QUOTE] Nope..nothing, just the existing 1 message from USCdiver Yes,private messages. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/4 "2008-05-14T21:00:48Z")
Send me a message! ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/5 "2008-05-14T21:16:31Z")
PM sent. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/6 "2008-05-14T21:20:11Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan] PM sent. [/QUOTE] Still reads the same’cept my total went from 4 to 5 Private Messages: Unread 65535, Total 5.(copy and paste) Unread didnt change, but total did. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/7 "2008-05-14T21:27:48Z")
> **[65,535](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/65535_(number))** > > 65535 is the integer after 65534 and before 65536. > It is the maximum value of an unsigned 16-bit integer. > 65535 is the sum of 20 through 215 (20 + 21 + 22 + ... + 215) and is therefore a repdigit in base 2 (1111111111111111), in base 4 (33333333), and in base 16 (FFFF). > It is the ninth number > > > > n > > > {\\displaystyle n} > > whose Euler totient has an aliquot sum that is > > > > n > > > {\\displaystyle n} > > : > > > > σ > ... ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/8 "2008-05-14T21:37:48Z")
Now it reads Private Messages: Unread 65534, Total 5. After reading my new message. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/9 "2008-05-14T21:39:00Z")
[QUOTE=UncleBeer] > **[65,535](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/65535_(number))** > > 65535 is the integer after 65534 and before 65536. > It is the maximum value of an unsigned 16-bit integer. > 65535 is the sum of 20 through 215 (20 + 21 + 22 + ... + 215) and is therefore a repdigit in base 2 (1111111111111111), in base 4 (33333333), and in base 16 (FFFF). > It is the ninth number > > > > n > > > {\\displaystyle n} > > whose Euler totient has an aliquot sum that is > > > > n > > > {\\displaystyle n} > > : > > > > σ > ... [/QUOTE] “65535 is a frequently occurring number in the field of computing because it is the highest number which can be represented by an unsigned 16 bit binary number. … Indices in chat groups may well max out at 65535.” ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/10 "2008-05-14T21:44:38Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] Now it reads Private Messages: Unread 65534, Total 5. After reading my new message. [/QUOTE] So all we have to do is send you 65529 more messages, and after you’ve read them all you’ll be good to go. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/11 "2008-05-14T21:50:52Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] So all we have to do is send you 65529 more messages, and after you’ve read them all you’ll be good to go. [/QUOTE] Messages with attached nudie pics is preferred. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/12 "2008-05-15T01:05:01Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] “65535 is a frequently occurring number in the field of computing because it is the highest number which can be represented by an unsigned 16 bit binary number. … Indices in chat groups may well max out at 65535.” [/QUOTE] Yeah, the other thing that can happen is that someone or something accidentally subtracts one more than it should. 65535 is the Twos Complement version of -1, for a 16-bit binary number. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/13 "2008-05-15T01:32:04Z")
Supposing **Mad Swine** were sent two more messages and didn’t read them? If the quantity is stored internally as a 16-bit number, it could wrap back around to 0, and, if we’re lucky, program logic could kick in at that point in such a way as to prevent later re-underflow. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/14 "2008-05-15T01:46:23Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] Supposing **Mad Swine** were sent two more messages and didn’t read them? If the quantity is stored internally as a 16-bit number, it could wrap back around to 0, and, if we’re lucky, program logic could kick in at that point in such a way as to prevent later re-underflow. [/QUOTE] Exactly what i was thinking! 😕 This feels like playing Mafia with **BlasterMaster** ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/15 "2008-05-15T02:12:14Z")
Oh, wait, I see that this was basically already tried; your unread count didn’t go up, just your total, though your unread _did_ go down after you read the new message. Sorry; I misunderstood what had already been tested. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/16 "2008-05-15T18:49:39Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] Supposing **Mad Swine** were sent two more messages and didn’t read them? If the quantity is stored internally as a 16-bit number, it could wrap back around to 0, and, if we’re lucky, program logic could kick in at that point in such a way as to prevent later re-underflow. [/QUOTE] Or, the Space-Time Contunum might collapse. Mustn’t forget our precious S-T Continum! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65535-unread-messages/449332/17 "2008-05-15T19:11:14Z")
Needless to say,\*\* Mad\*\*, our good **Swine** should avoid messing with this delicate balance any further. National Security is at stake, if not the Vogon interplanetary debt. I’m not authorized to explain why, but I am authorized to glower menacingly and speak of vague horrors. :eek: If you know what’s good for you, you’ll eat a balanced diet and stay active. You know what I’m saying? Awright.