I joined in April 1999. I believe it was April 9, 1999.
Looks like something similar must’ve happened with Jophiel — they’re last-posted date is earlier than their join date.
April 8, 1999, according to your profile. Can no longer figure out your member number; relic of the old software.
Updated the table, and fixed the dates for Monty, Doug_Bowe and Jophiel:
| Doper | Number | Join Date | Last Posted | Last Seen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Zotti | 6 | February 18, 1999 | August 2, 2024 | December 10, 2024 | Gormless Weenie |
| Monty | 14 | February 19, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Straight Dope Science Advisory Board |
| Eutychus | 22 | February 20, 1999 | April 24, 2025 | April 24, 2025 | Straight Dope Science Advisory Board |
TubaDiva  |
32 | March 10, 1999 | June 28, 2020 | June 28, 2020 | Capo di tutti i capi |
| GusNSpot | 33 | March 11, 1999 | July 17, 2020 | June 14, 2020 | Charter Member |
| Doug_Bowe | 39 | March 11, 1999 | December 27, 2019 | December 27, 2019 | Guest |
| gotpasswords | 41 | March 11, 1999 | December 13, 2023 | December 18, 2024 | Charter Member |
| AskNott | 45 | March 11, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| PunditLisa | 46 | March 11, 1999 | February 23, 2021 | November 22, 2021 | Member |
| KCB615 | 47 | March 11, 1999 | December 7, 2024 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| tomndebb | 82 | March 12, 1999 | October 13, 2024 | November 7, 2024 | Mod Rocker |
| Whitetho | 114 | March 12, 1999 | November 23, 2024 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| Enright3 | 157 | March 14, 1999 | December 22, 2024 | December 22, 2024 | Guest |
| Jophiel | 199 | March 15, 1999 | January 3, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Guest |
| Doctor Jackson | 215 | March 16, 1999 | October 8, 2019 | October 8, 2019 | Guest |
| Revtim | 300 | March 20, 1999 | October 28, 2024 | January 4, 2025 | Guest |
| cmkeller | 366 | March 25, 1999 | March 7, 2024 | March 7, 2024 | Guest |
| Skywatcher | 387 | March 27, 1999 | January 3, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| kunilou [now Clark_Kent] | 535 | April 6, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| Crafter_Man | ??? | April 8, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Member |
| RealityChuck | 630 | April 13, 1999 | January 3, 2025 | January 3, 2025 | Charter Member |
| Czarcasm | 774 | April 23, 1999 | January 2, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | TIME Magazine’s 2006 Person Of The Year / Chicken of Bristol |
| furt | 877 | April 29, 1999 | November 4, 2020 | November 4, 2020 | Guest |
| Motorgirl | 879 | April 29, 1999 | October 23, 2024 | November 25, 2024 | Charter Member |
Adding Crafter_Man means that there are 18 out of 24, for a retention rate of 75%.
Thank you. Comes from flipping back and forth between the edit page, my table pulled from AHunter3’s post, and all the individual profiles,
I joined up in 1999 under a different username (I switched names a while back by asking the mods for help, so I’m not sock puppet). When the board asked members to pay, I remember paying for at least one year, but it’s been so long I can’t remember what year that was.
I think AHunter3’s table was the first two months when membership was thrown open, March and April 1999. I don’t want to try to add everyone who joined in 1999 after that date (including me).
Oh, no, I wasn’t suggesting you go through all that much trouble. I don’t remember exactly when I joined in 1999, only that it was shortly after I saw an episode of The Straight Dope television show. I used to read the message board while I was at work. First job where I had internet and an email.
I joined in April 2001 and as I recall I just missed out on a four digit user number. I felt like a noob for years.
Still here, a mostly reticent lurking relic from the AOL days.
I distinctly remember trying to sign up multiple times on the morning of March 11, 1999 but the board hadn’t been turned on yet. It was mid afternoon when it finally let me. Several of the other AOLers had gotten in ahead of me.
I’m not the most senior, but I’m pretty darned close.
Right: Table of Old Duffers, Mark III:
| Doper | Number | Join Date | Last Posted | Last Seen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Zotti | 6 | February 18, 1999 | August 2, 2024 | December 10, 2024 | Gormless Weenie |
| Monty | 14 | February 19, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Straight Dope Science Advisory Board |
| Eutychus | 22 | February 20, 1999 | April 24, 2025 | April 24, 2025 | Straight Dope Science Advisory Board |
TubaDiva  |
32 | March 10, 1999 | June 28, 2020 | June 28, 2020 | Capo di tutti i capi |
| GusNSpot | 33 | March 11, 1999 | July 17, 2020 | June 14, 2020 | Charter Member |
| DougBowe | 39 | March 11, 1999 | December 27, 2019 | December 27, 2019 | Guest |
| gotpasswords | 41 | March 11, 1999 | December 13, 2023 | December 18, 2024 | Charter Member |
| AskNott | 45 | March 11, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| PunditLisa | 46 | March 11, 1999 | February 23, 2021 | November 22, 2021 | Member |
| KCB615 | 47 | March 11, 1999 | December 7, 2024 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| AHunter3 | 66 | March 11, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| tomndebb | 82 | March 12, 1999 | October 13, 2024 | November 7, 2024 | Mod Rocker |
| Whitetho | 114 | March 12, 1999 | November 23, 2024 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| Enright3 | 157 | March 14, 1999 | December 22, 2024 | December 22, 2024 | Guest |
| Jophiel | 199 | March 15, 1999 | January 3, 1999 | January 4, 1999 | Guest |
| Doctor Jackson | 215 | March 16, 1999 | October 8, 2019 | October 8, 2019 | Guest |
| Revtim | 300 | March 20, 1999 | October 28, 2024 | January 4, 2025 | Guest |
| cmkeller | 366 | March 25, 1999 | March 7, 2024 | March 7, 2024 | Guest |
| Skywatcher | 387 | March 27, 1999 | January 3, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| kunilou [now Clark_Kent] | 535 | April 6, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Charter Member |
| Crafter_Man | ??? | April 8, 1999 | January 4, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Member |
| RealityChuck | 630 | April 13, 1999 | January 3, 2025 | January 3, 2025 | Charter Member |
| Czarcasm | 774 | April 23, 1999 | January 2, 2025 | January 4, 2025 | TIME Magazine’s 2006 Person Of The Year / Chicken of Bristol |
| furt | 877 | April 29, 1999 | November 4, 2020 | November 4, 2020 | Guest |
| Motorgirl | 879 | April 29, 1999 | October 23, 2024 | November 25, 2024 | Charter Member |
Formatting error, I swear! I had your data there, but there was a line return missing between KCB615 and you, so the table software made you a non-person.
Fixed.
Retention rate: 19 out of 25, so 76%.
I’m from September 2000, and I had a four-digit user number. It was 9xxx, where x represents something more exact. But I would guess that the board rolled over to five digit user numbers sometime later in the fall of 2000.
I remember December 23, 1999.
You have Eutychus’s last post/seen dates as April 24, 2025 !
Sorry !
You knocked me out of the top ten remaining active posters. Don’t think I’ll forget this!
Here’s an old thread with an embedded table of poster dates (no user ID unfortunately):
That looks to be a complete list of users through August of 2001. I’m in there at Nov 3rd 1999, the 428th in the list if you sort it by join date.
I’m a 99er and I’m not on that list.
Same .
According to this post, I am member number 560.
Appreciate your work on this.
Wow - 5/20 and #1572. Surprises me that # is so low. Likely surprises the mods I’m still such a PITA! 