What does the user ID# on Photo.net represent?

<p>It's been a while since I've visited Photo.net (always bookmarked, but my hobbies are cyclical, so the photo bug comes and goes). <br>

<br />One thing I've always wondered is how the user ID# works. I've been a member here since 1999 and my ID is 130000. Does this mean I'm the 130,000th member, the 1,300th member, the 130th member or what? I know the question is probably pointless, but I'm honestly curious about it.</p>

<p>130K is probably the closest answer. But it isn't exactly correct because I don't know what the starting number was. And sometime around 1999 was when Philip G decided to set up the "account" system, and every existing post author on PN was given an account. That was done all at once and I don't think it was super tightly tied to chronological order. I know for a fact that a few guys like shun Cheung have been on the sight longer than I have, but I have a lower user ID number. In fact, the fact that Philip himself has a 23k ID number and I have a 20K number would be a pretty good case in point.</p>

<p>Even in a well-run totalitarian system (like Computer Technology back in mainframe days), the bosses do not always get the lowest party-member numbers. They did, however, get lower numbers than the mere supplicants. :|<br>

I never did find out who had user number gd0001.</p>

<p>Somehow, random number assignments makes perfect sense. Thanks for the insight :-)</p>