How is this even possible?

Just now, I was doing a search trying to locate a member I was speaking with last night and clicked on the 'Members' tab after clicking on the 'Tools+' tab.

The following has me quite baffled:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Bill Member Jun 28, 2002 0000Dec 31, 1969
Mark Member Jun 28, 2002 0000Dec 31, 1969

ATS has it listed that these two characters' last visits were in 1969.

Please visit the link above the external text to see what I'm talking about.
So, is this a typo?
How is it possible that these two members became active with ATS on the same day in 2002 and last visited 1969? Time travelers?
No, but seriously. How can this be?
Thanks in advance for quelling my curiosity.

Edit to Add: Here are two more:

Rogue Shadows member Mar 24, 2005 0000Dec 31, 1969
generaldisarray member Mar 27, 2005 0000Dec 31, 1969

Although they have different join dates, they have also fallen prey to the same time warp for their last visits.

reply to post by Afterthought

Originally posted by Gemwolf
As far as I know "December 31, 1969" is the default date for any date in the ATS database. In other words if a field doesn't have an actual date (for instance March 1, 2002) then it defaults to December 31, 1969 to prevent a null error.

So my guess would be in this case that the accounts was registered back then but they were never actually used to log in - or it was old accounts from the old ATS board that was transferred to the new board, but the members never logged in on the new board.

Link to thread

reply to post by DenyObfuscation


Thanks for quelling my curiosity.

reply to post by Afterthought


You're welcome. Somehow I stumbled upon that thread not too long ago.

reply to post by Afterthought


Being the "Mark" of one of those two accounts, I really wish I could travel time. But alas, I can't it's just DB software making it look like Bill and I can travel through time.

Springer(Mark)...

Unix, the underlying software of a lot of systems, was released 1st Jan 1970, and if the time stamp resets to 0, then whatever it is displays 31/12/69. That is where the mysterious member dates come from

reply to post by Springer


Thanks for replying.
I was thoroughly confused when I saw those dates and it's too bad that there isn't a conspiracy to cover up the fact that you and others are time travelers.
I did consider that it was an auto date, but I figured that this date would be the year that ATS was created and not set back to the 60s.
I'm still wondering why Apple computers default to July 17th. Anyone know the reaon for this one? Was it his birthday or some other anniversary date?

reply to post by Afterthought


Never heard that one about Macs, Mac OS uses Unix as its base too.

reply to post by woogleuk


Also aliens, HAARP, and Blossom Goodchild.

And John Titor. He time travels.

reply to post by Springer


...and yet I'm sure I caught sight of a GMC Delorean parked in your garage...

1.21 gigawatts baby!