# Age misperception on the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 22, 2002, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155 "2002-08-22T23:29:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/21 "2002-08-23T12:32:55Z")
When I first started online, everyone thought I was older than I was. (At the time, I was 15.) This trend continued until I hit about 29. I expect that by the time I’m 40, everyone will think I’m 16. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/22 "2002-08-23T12:54:17Z")
I’d thought **zev** was older as well, but I thought I recalled hearing him talk about having younger children, and so along the way somewhere (I’ve been lurking here at least a year prior to my registration) I thought he was younger - I think I settled on somewhere in the 40s. I have a friend that I play online games with a lot; I’d figured that he had to be in his early 40s because of his knowledge and writing style. He turned out to be my age, early 30s. Meanwhile he had seen a picture of me and pegged my age at being 4-5 years younger than I actually am, until I told him that we’re the same age. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/23 "2002-08-23T14:56:27Z")
I tend to assume everyone’s older than me . . . just because. 'Course, even after I met **scott\_evil** , I figured he was only four or five years older than I, not ten! :o ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/24 "2002-08-23T14:56:52Z")
I have no inkling what age catagory folks think I am on-line, but those who I meet IRL tend to think I’m a good 4-5 years older than I am (not that I really look it, I suppose I must sound it). I also think it’s difficult to judge on this board in particular because the majority of those who partake in the Straight Dope are rather well-read and are in more cerebral career fields. 'Cept for those goofy high school kids, whom I must assume are just geeks. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/25 "2002-08-23T16:23:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamadryad \* > **I expect that by the time I’m 40, everyone will think I’m 16.** Come now, dear. We all know you’re a twelve-year-old boy! ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/26 "2002-08-23T18:01:56Z")
Pork ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/27 "2002-08-23T19:25:05Z")
As **RT** mentioned, I didn’t think anyone named “Zev” would be under 50. That you had kids and your mature writing style had me completely fooled. I do hope you took it as a compliment, as intended. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/28 "2002-08-23T20:54:25Z")
Like **Ginger** , I tend to picture everyone as “around my age” (mid-30s) and white. I also picture people with gender-neutral names as female. It must be some innate self-centeredness. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/29 "2002-08-24T01:29:35Z")
**zev** , in hindsight, I think I had pegged in mid-30s. We have our teenage members whose ages I’ve only been aware of because of things they’ve posted about high school or heading off to college. **rowrrbazzle** is one that I only recently figured out is somewhere near my age. I’m at an age that I’m surprised from time to time to realize. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/30 "2002-08-24T02:46:13Z")
I don’t know how old people think I am although I haven’t made a secret of it. Anyone wanna guess? ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/31 "2002-08-24T03:16:46Z")
I guess 32. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/32 "2002-08-24T03:19:16Z")
I guess she loves you now, jpatlgt. I know how oldish you are, Mermaid. ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuyWithPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@ThatGuyWithPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuyWithPants)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/33 "2002-08-24T03:40:05Z")
Diagnose me with aphasia folks. I’ve never really stopped to figure out who or how old everyone is. I have a really nasty habit of viewing everybody as being normal parts of the environment. I mean I like certain ones of you (and I HATE THE REST…lol kiddin) but everyone just seems like they are just…there I guess. I do that with everyone though online. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/34 "2002-08-24T03:44:13Z")
(I think **The Mermaid** is at a truely glorious age. :)). I tend to think of posters in a nebulous age range, but over 20, until their posts indicate otherwise. I don’t know why I am sometimes really surprised by some reveals and that those that generally surprise me the most are the teenagers. It’s not as if teenagers can’t post with eloquence and maturity. Perhaps it has more to do with my being quite shy at that age. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/35 "2002-08-24T03:55:45Z")
RTFirefly, That’s the first time I’ve seen the acronym IANAJ on the boards. It had me laughing. You’re all old farts. I’m 6. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/36 "2002-08-24T14:23:35Z")
I thought **zev** was 65 or somethin’! Didn’t he once post about loving the Brooklyn Dodgers? Or was that my senility kicking in? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/37 "2002-08-24T17:20:25Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Hamadryad_: > > When I first started online, everyone thought I was older than I was. (At the time, I was 15.) This trend continued until I hit about 29. Has the internet really been around for 14 years? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/38 "2002-08-24T17:41:50Z")
Everyone makes the silly mistake of assuming I’m in my early 20’s… but, in reality, I’m older than Time itself. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/39 "2002-08-24T22:04:41Z")
The internet has been around since the 1960s, **Attrayant**. Though in those days it was mainly geeks at MIT trying to talk to geeks at Stanford. By 1969 there were 4 or 5 nodes at major universities and the “internet” was called ARPAnet (Advanced Research Projects Agency). By 1973, ARPAnet went international and in 1979 Usenet was established. The modern internet happened, ironically enough, in 1984. With the creation of Domain Names, the internet exploded to 1,000 hosts and went well past the boundaries of university and government use. So, I guess the answer to your question would be yes. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155/40 "2002-08-24T22:50:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\* The Doper assumed that I was about 65 years old, and based it on my writing style._\* I’m sorry Zev, I have assumed the same thing. But I thought you were about 150 years old, since you know so much about the history of baseball, I assumed you were alive when it happened. My bad. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-misperception-on-the-sdmb/125155.md?page=3)