# OK, how did this happen? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 27, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867 "2003-06-27T22:23:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [June 27, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/1 "2003-06-27T22:23:51Z")
In the ‘need a name change’ thread here in ATMB, I did my usual stunt of making inane unsolicited suggestions (even though the OP has already decided). My post is the last one appearing in the thread, but the thread index says the last post was by someone with the username **Play Unicorn Leapfrog** ; what is _really_ strange is that clicking on **Play Unicorn Leapfrog** ’s name takes you to MY user profile. ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/2 "2003-06-27T22:29:24Z")
The unicorn dude may have been a spambot/troller, and had all his posts deleted. I remember a juciysomething, who was a spambot that had all it’s posts deleted. The deletion would not reflect on the last posters on the page, but when you click on the page to go to the profile of the last poster it would reflect more accurately. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/3 "2003-06-27T22:37:01Z")
Please read the sticky regarding this sort of comment. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/4 "2003-06-27T23:03:20Z")
So, you are saying that you _are_, in fact, upset that someone took **AtomicBadgerRacing** and never did anything with it. Admit it. As to the OP, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/5 "2003-06-27T23:06:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Please read the sticky regarding this sort of comment. \*\* Which one? Seriously, there’s four of them up there and the F.A.Q. threads are really long. The titles ain’t helping, neither. A link might. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/6 "2003-06-27T23:27:02Z")
[A more relevant link for the OP](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/announcement.php?s=&forumid=2) [The DNFTT FAQ Q.E.D. is speaking of](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106617) ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/7 "2003-06-27T23:30:38Z")
I think his question had more to do with how the board indexes the threads, rather than the nature of the poster. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/8 "2003-06-27T23:31:23Z")
Actually, I did mean the announcement that **NoClueBoy** first mentioned. Though both links are relevant. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/9 "2003-06-27T23:40:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aslan of Narnia \* > \*\*I think his question had more to do with how the board indexes the threads, rather than the nature of the poster. \*\* I’ve had this happen to me because of being the object of a certain troll’s attention. I’ve noticed that the deleted poster’s name stays there, linking to the last previous post (mine), until someone else posts. As for the whys of this example of board mechanics, I have No Clue. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/10 "2003-06-27T23:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Actually, I did mean the announcement that **NoClueBoy** first mentioned. Though both links are relevant. \*\* You have my sincerest apologies. I was looking at the “stickies” and not the “announcement.” I’m too literal-minded for my own good, sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/11 "2003-06-27T23:53:31Z")
Eh, no biggie. Probably should have linked, but I was feeling lazy at the time. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/12 "2003-06-28T00:10:00Z")
Yes, unfortunately, the deleted jerk’s name is left on the threads. We had a spammer a few weeks back, you might recall, who posted the same “Buy my product!” spam in about three dozen different threads. We mass deleted them, but his name stayed on the threads as the “last poster” until they faded into the sunset. I think the name “troll” is too polite. I prefer “jerk”, “moron”, “mush-for-brains”, or “brat.” ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/13 "2003-06-28T00:44:44Z")
How about “coprophage.” I like that one. ---
**Author:** ![Thunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@Thunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thunder)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/14 "2003-06-28T01:48:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Eh, no biggie. Probably should have linked, but I was feeling lazy at the time. \*\* It is an attitude like this which makes your “Junior Mod” status questionable. at best. 😃 ---
**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:** [June 28, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/15 "2003-06-28T23:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > **Yes, unfortunately, the deleted jerk’s name is left on the threads. We had a spammer a few weeks back, you might recall, who posted the same “Buy my product!” spam in about three dozen different threads. We mass deleted them, but his name stayed on the threads as the “last poster” until they faded into the sunset.** Thanks, this explains the wrong name (I notice there’s another one there now), but why does clicking on the wrong name bring up MY profile page? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/16 "2003-06-28T23:07:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Thanks, this explains the wrong name (I notice there’s another one there now), but why does clicking on the wrong name bring up MY profile page? \*\* If you hover over the name of the listed last poster in the thread listing it will say something like: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php)? action=getinfo&find=lastposter&threadid=193921. The script will retrieve the info for the last poster who is actually in the database, rather than the _listed_ last poster, since it doesn’t look it up by username. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-how-did-this-happen/184867/17 "2003-06-28T23:36:46Z")
Ah, thanks.