Who was the very first DISer?

[Dan Murphy]

DIS Investigations on the scene again...

Typically User IDs (UIDs) are assigned sequentially, starting at some arbitrary value.

Pete's UID on the system appears to be 1721. His "Join Date" is 06-01-1997.

Baloo is 1719, with a join date of 04-21-2000.

There are no single digit UIDs, but some random checks show that there is a UID of 500 and 1001 - but they have join dates AFTER Baloo.

So this tells me that at least to start the UID allocation was NOT sequential, at least when the current board incarnation came about. It could have been an import of users from a previous version, and the order was arbitrary based on how they were exported from the old system.

Which means unless WebmasterAlex gives me access to the database, I've got nothing

The earliest normally listed start dates that are in posters' profiles is Aug 1999. When I came here, March or April of '99, the board was linear, as MJ mentioned on page one of this thread. No registering as such was needed then. An updated software was implemented in Aug of 1999, and if you look at the start dates of 'old timers', there will be a lot of Aug and Sept 1999 start dates, as everyone then on the board had to register, and got those dates. Pete and MJ have earlier listed start dates, because they can manually makes changes like that in profiles, and decided to change to their original dates.

Others, like Baloo mentioned above, who was a moderator type person back then, Alex, a page back, myself, a moderator type back then, and a number of other moderators, had to reregister in April of 2000. The board was again getting a major update and it was asked of a number of moderators to be online on the board when the switch took place late at night. The upgrade was not able to accommodate previous registrations for a number of hours after the switch, and with a number of moderator type people requested to be online, those had to reregister, thus the April 2000 date for myself and a handful of other moderator type people from back then, probably none of whom are today.

It was interesting seeing that screenshot, knowing so many of those names, so many of them gone. But do keep up with a number of them still. Sure do miss them from here. It was a lot different back then.

With all the changes the DIS has gone through over the years, I find myself a bit more 'distant' than in the past. But still find the place to be overall a good place. I have met so very many posters over the years. And by a long shot, most are good. A few bad eggs here and there, but by and large, a good group.

Sure do miss a lot of those who help build this place from those early years.

 

[Kaa]

I first lurked in December 97 and joined in February 98. I was Tammy back then. Pete designated me as Kaa in one of the later migrations because that was my chat name. I was the original moderator of the Budget Board along with BethR.

 

[tspann]

I too was a lurker back in 97 and 98 but didn't actually register till later. I still just read more than post.

 

[minniesBFF]

boy I feel like a youngster. I've barely been around 3 years. I'm so inexperienced.

I think its cool to hear about the "early days" of the Dis. Makes me wish I was around to see it grow into the amazing community that it is today.