[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Counter?

[terry]

Steve Baker wrote:
> Lance Simmons wrote:
> 
>> * terry <kj5zr at yahoo.com> [040226 00:11]:
>>
>>> (I'm Registered Linux User 188099)
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm 122802.  I signed up in '99, so it doesn't seem like the number has
>> grown all that much in the past 5 years.
>>
> 
> That's weird.  I'm 148698 - and I signed up in June 1994.  How come I'm
> 20,000 numbers later than you but signed up 5 years earlier???
> 
> Evidently the numbers aren't allocated consecutively.
> 
> My number clearly doesn't reflect the number of people who were
> subscribed at the time because in June 1994, there were less than 10,000
> people counted at the site.
> 
> The deal is that my first four COMPUTER numbers are in the 64,000 range
> (very likely numbers for 1994).   I think that back then, there weren't
> any "people numbers" - only "machine numbers".  Hence, people who signed
> up very early on would have been issued numbers that were freed up when
> they dropped out 80,000 'inactive users' in November 2001.  At that time,
> there were around 130,000 active users - so someone who signed on in '99
> would have had a number around there (which explains Lance's 122,000 
> number).
> 
> If they then re-issued the free'd up numbers to people who'd signed up
> early on before there were people-numbers - then that would explain how
> I wound up with a number in the 140,000 range.
> 
> Well - whatever it is, it's dangerous to assume that a high 'counter'
> number implies someone who only signed up recently.
> 

FYI: I signed up feb 2000

-- 
Registered Linux User 188099
http://counter.li.org/