# Um...possible problem leading to the "ghost poster" syndrome?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [September 22, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164 "2000-09-22T17:40:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164/1 "2000-09-22T17:40:26Z")
I saw on the main page that our latest poster/person to register was someone called **Anonymous Coward**. Intrigued as to what thread this person had posted on, I went to his/her profile. As you can see [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=9704) the profile lists the poster as having no posts (at this time) and yet his/her last post being at 6:00pm on 12/31/1969. maybe the system didn’t “eat” the “ghost poster” referred to [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=38248)–maybe it is something else?
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### Author:  [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164/2 "2000-09-22T17:49:11Z")
Naw, that probably just corresponds to the beginning of the epoch. Many operating systems and computer applications measure time by counting seconds in the epoch, which, for whatever reason, began Jan. 1st, 1970. So, the date you noticed simply corresponds to the field being zero internally.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164/3 "2000-09-22T19:31:51Z")
Thank you very much! That’s our answer.
Since we switched to the new software, all new registrations have a “last post date” of 12-31-1969.
The mystery is solved!
I figured it was some kind of a placeholder and so didn’t worry about it much.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
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### Author:  [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164/4 "2000-09-22T19:54:59Z")
Thank you very much. I was all panicked over nothing! (Happens alot!) I’ll go back to MPSIMS now!
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### Author:  [@Pantology](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantology)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2000, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/um-possible-problem-leading-to-the-ghost-poster-syndrome/34164/5 "2000-09-23T18:43:11Z")
Wonderful. If there was anything this message board was lacking, it was a combination of “First Post” posts, (URL deleted) links, and Linux zealotry.
Good to see that this problem has been dealt with. 🙂
[Edited by Eutychus55 on 09-23-2000 at 02:42 PM]