Birthday List: Investigating Member Birthdays on Physics Forums

[Gokul43201]

This is just something I've been curious about for a while, and today, my curiosity peaked.

We have around 32,000 members here, so you'd expect, on average, nearly a hundred member birthdays everyday. Yet, I've noticed no more than two or three birthdays listed on most days. I'd imagined that only the members that were new or active would make the list, but today's birthday member registered in 2004, and has 0 total posts.

https://www.physicsforums.com/member.php?u=16931

What's the deal with this ?

 

[Moonbear]

This is just something I've been curious about for a while, and today, my curiosity peaked.

We have around 32,000 members here, so you'd expect, on average, nearly a hundred member birthdays everyday. Yet, I've noticed no more than two or three birthdays listed on most days. I'd imagined that only the members that were new or active would make the list, but today's birthday member registered in 2004, and has 0 total posts.

https://www.physicsforums.com/member.php?u=16931

What's the deal with this ?

I sometimes wonder that too. I do know that if you set your UserCP preferences to not display your birthdate, you won't show up on the birthday list, so there are probably a lot of members who opt to keep that information private. But, if you look at the calendar, sometimes birthdays show up on that but aren't shown on the front page birthday list. Those are the ones I really don't understand. I don't see much need to have people who have been inactive for over a year still showing up on the birthday list, though sorting them out might be more hassle than it's worth.

 

[scott1]

Well let's do some math here...
there are 32,427 and the 365 days in a year.But there are leap years in every years so that means an average year is 365.25 days are year.
88.8 =\frac{32427}{365}
so there should be an average of 88.8 members birthday a day.But that isn't entirlery ture because on some days there more eople being born then others.Look at the calander.
You should read this article
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=402

 

[Gokul43201]

I do know that if you set your UserCP preferences to not display your birthdate, you won't show up on the birthday list, so there are probably a lot of members who opt to keep that information private.

Of course ! I bet that's what it is.

But, if you look at the calendar, sometimes birthdays show up on that but aren't shown on the front page birthday list. Those are the ones I really don't understand.

Hmmm...just when I thought the mystery was completely solved.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Birthdays are only advertised if it's an active member. An active member is someone who has logged in within the past two months of the current date.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I do know that if you set your UserCP preferences to not display your birthdate, you won't show up on the birthday list, so there are probably a lot of members who opt to keep that information private.

Is it mandatory to enter your birthday? I'd imagine that far more people just don't enter the information.

 

[Moonbear]

Is it mandatory to enter your birthday? I'd imagine that far more people just don't enter the information.

I don't remember. It might not be. There are enough people who seem to be the epitomy of youthful good health at 100 years old, or quite mature and eloquent for a 2 year old, that even if it's required, they aren't all bothering to put in accurate information.

 

[Evo]

The month and day are all that's needed.

 

[Dumbobaby]

How many people are there using the same birthday ?

 

[honestrosewater]

Several people used January 1st. Sneaky little hobbitses.