ATS Time Travellers? Join: Sep 11, 2011 Last Visit: Dec. 31 1969 ~ What's Up ATS?

While reading an earlier thread by ATS member Wonderer2012 titled, "Why Does 'That' Thread Have So Many Flags??!! Allow Me To Explain..." I decided to check out what they are explaining.

I figured the best way to do this would be by checking the ATS 'Member Directory'. There you can sort through the ATS membership using specific statistical criteria, such as the Join Date, Number of Posts, Last Visit, etc.

I opened the list, sorted under 'Join Date', and began working my way through the newest members in an attempt to identify those with the highest Flag count. I sifted through roughly 50 pages, but never found anything that was incredibly astonishing. I saw no members who joined between now and roughly Feb 10th, 2013 with flag counts exceeding 200.

Realizing it could take a while to make it through the 2,500+ pages, I decided to change the sorting criteria to 'Last Visit'.

I am a bit confused at what I've found and I am curious why the returned results appear as strangely as they do.

Apparently we are among time travellers! Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of Above Top Secret Time Travelers!!

How can someone have their last visit on Dec. 31, 1969 when they joined on September 11, 2011 (aside from all the other reasons they couldn't have their last visit on New Year's Eve, 1969)?

Anyone know what's up with this?

Sumaru didn't help me a whole lot, but, then again, I don't really know how to search archives for something like this.

I'm probably getting some of this wrong, but I remember looking into this one time because I noticed it on a different website:

Some website date systems use Unix time, and there's some kind of bug that ends up resetting the time back to day 1, which would be December 31 1969

reply to post by FollowTheWhiteRabbit


When I first saw the dates, I mistakenly thought the join dates were Sept. 11, 2001 and that maybe it was some sort of 9/11 memorial. Then I noticed the it was 2011, not 2001.

I've never heard of that type of glitch before. I really don't know how these websites are constructed and coded, but it seems as though a site that is updated and maintained as frequently as ATS wouldn't have such issues.

Now I'm gonna be watching every site I go to for things like this, haha.



EDIT

There must be a conspiracy here...

2011 - 1969 = 42!!

What's 42?

The answer to 'Everything'!

reply to post by esteay812


I might be way off here but I don't think ATS was around in 1969 so it's probably a bug.

reply to post by cripmeister

How can someone have their last visit on Dec. 31, 1969 when they joined on September 11, 2011 (aside from all the other reasons they couldn't have their last visit on New Year's Eve, 1969)?

Yeah, I thought so too, that's what I was referencing in the above emphasized text.

I didn't mean to seem as if I really believe ATS is packed with time travellers who all joined at the same time and all went back to 1969 to have their final visit, .

I knew there was a logical answer, but I just had no idea what it would be.

Originally posted by esteay812
reply to post by cripmeister

 

I didn't mean to seem as if I really believe ATS is packed with time travellers who all joined at the same time and all went back to 1969 to have their final visit,

.

This is ATS so one can never be sure Maybe you should have posted in Board Business & Questions.

reply to post by cripmeister


Why would I post a possible internal conspiracy in Board Business?

I saw a YouTube video that said uploaded for that same date.

I have a screen shot on my phone but android 4.2 doesn't support adobe so I can't upload it. :-(

looking at some of the names of the members (all without any posts)...

'doomtard'
WTFbarbaque'
'steamy piles'
'unknowncaller'
'takeoutthegover66'
'sasquatchnutz'

they look kinda suspisious!

must be a secrect cache of sockpuppet personalities!

great find!

reply to post by esteay812


Ok...I went into the membership and messed around a bit...and here is what I got:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The first 2 on the list joined in May of 2005; and it says that their last visit was Dec. 1969; everyone else on the page it says their last visit was April 28, 2013.

Right now where I live it is still Saturday April 27, 2013 and the time is 8:03pm (pacific standard time).

I am guessing there is some sort of bug in the system.

Edit: What I also find strange is that many have joined but have no posts, flags, stars etc. Apparently they just joined and like to read; or this information is another glitch in the system.

Here is what I found: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by FollowTheWhiteRabbit

Some website date systems use Unix time, and there's some kind of bug that ends up resetting the time back to day 1, which would be December 31 1969

There ya go.

Those are members who's only time logging in was when they signed up.

Their sign up date will be correct but their "last login" will be Dec. 31, 1969.

If you're interested you can find more info here: en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by caladonea


Yes, that is something I found suspicious too, having no posts/flags/stars, etc. It's one of the reasons I went ahead and made a thread, since there were several very odd things there.

The names seem random, but many are created on the same date, and they all show last visit 1969.

Whether it's a strange glitch that shows a skewed date, could that also account for the random names with no flags/posts/stars?I mean, I wouldn't find it as odd if some of the accounts had atleast 1 or 2 posts, or if there weren't so many similar accounts created on the same day - all showing the 1969 date.

Also, I am not sure exactly what I did that caused them all to show up like that. If you just go to members list and click 'Last Visit' as the sort filter, you will not get the same results as my link in the Opening Post shows. You will see some of the accounts with a last visit date of 1969, but not nearly as many as seen in my link.

It must have something with the path I took just before the 'Last Visit' filter was applied.

The value of zero in the particular date field which is evaluated as "midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), 1 January 1970", When the timezone offset is applied the date goes back into Dec 31 1969 a few hours.

reply to post by roadgravel


Yes, but what accounts for all of those accounts being opened on the same day and none of them showing even a single post/star/flag? Could that too be a glitch?


reply to post by Djarums



I am sure there are a lot, but I don't know the average number.... can you tell us how many accounts are opened daily, on average?

Also, is there anyway you can tell how often accounts are created that never make a post?

It's odd because it seems most people create their account to make a post right away. They see something they are interested in or want to comment on, so they open an account and post. I wouldn't think lots of accounts that never make a post would be created every single day.

Originally posted by esteay812
reply to post by roadgravel

 

Yes, but what accounts for all of those accounts being opened on the same day and none of them showing even a single post/star/flag? Could that too be a glitch?

Some person(s) must have created accounts but never posted. The "last post date' should probably says "never".

Maybe someone had plans for a sock army here.

edit:

Or a bot run by spammers was creating accounts back then.

I travelled backwards in time to 1993 once, it was nice so relaxed. Of course it was a dream, just like all the other time travellers you have identified.

Originally posted by FollowTheWhiteRabbit
I'm probably getting some of this wrong, but I remember looking into this one time because I noticed it on a different website:

Some website date systems use Unix time, and there's some kind of bug that ends up resetting the time back to day 1, which would be December 31 1969

It must have been the Y2K bug we all were fearing. Within less than 2 years from the date. Just saying. Looks as if someone hadn't updated a particular server.

It must have been the Y2K bug we all were fearing. Within less than 2 years from the date. Just saying. Looks as if someone hadn't updated a particular server.

Not Y2k, etc.

Simply a date field initialized with 0 or null and then never changed and the software deals with it as a valid field.