24 replies to this topic

[Bagheera]

So I was sitting in traffic and I had this random thought. I wondered if it was possible to estimate someone's age based on the first email client they used and the domain of their first email address.

My first 'client' was 'mail' and my first domain was [REDACTED].edu (you crazy fools don't need to know the school to play the game!), how old am I?

No cheating, I know some of you have at least some idea of my actual age.

[StompingOnTanks]

I'm going to guess and say you are somewhere between the ages of 5 and 100.

[DaZur]

Bagheera, on 19 February 2014 - 09:52 PM, said:

No cheating, I know some of you have at least some idea of my actual age.

Okay... reasoned deduction:
- You're driving so it's safe to infer your over 18.
- Your first email was *.edu leading me to believe you attended college and resided in a campus facility utilizing the colleges email account = 22+
- You're "sitting in traffic" so you've graduated and have attained a fulfilling job that requires a commute. Assuming a minimum of a bachelor degree = 26+

I'm going to guess between 26 and 30 years of age.

Edited by DaZur, 20 February 2014 - 07:57 AM.

[Sandpit]

I'm going to say 27

[DaZur]

Sandpit, on 20 February 2014 - 08:29 AM, said:

I'm going to say 27

I hate you.

[Bagheera]

Well reasoned, but nope, older. Not that I act it.

The client data point might be too vague. I might have used mail by choice or because it was before pine.

Also, <3 you guys for making feel a little younger.


Edit: After doing a little Wikipedia it appears that mail, pine and elm were somewhat concurrent, so my bad.

Bonus hint. My first online MW game was written in MUSH/MUSE code, totally forget which one is which though.

Edited by Bagheera, 20 February 2014 - 01:59 PM.

[DaZur]

Bagheera, on 20 February 2014 - 01:52 PM, said:

Well reasoned, but nope, older. Not that I act it.

The client data point might be too vague. I might have used mail by choice or because it was before pine.

Also, <3 you guys for making feel a little younger.


Edit: After doing a little Wikipedia it appears that mail, pine and elm were somewhat concurrent, so my bad.

Bonus hint. My first online MW game was written in MUSH/MUSE code, totally forget which one is which though.

Hmmm.... MUSH's became popular around the 1990's

​Okay... more broad extrapolation based on 26 to 30 being incorrect and your unabashed appreciation for guessing so low, andd MUSH games being pretty cutting edge in the 1990s....

I withdraw my original guess and replace it with "between 45 and 50".

[Sandpit]

I'm going with 36-40

[Bagheera]

Sandpit is the closest without going over. (40) Anyone want to offer up hints so we can test more than once?

Edited by Bagheera, 20 February 2014 - 02:39 PM.

[Brethern]

I'll bite, seems like an interesting thing to test.

My first email client was outlook express, my first domain was a cheatcc account.

[Bagheera]

Both of those started around '97, and in those days email access in highschool was becoming more common, but I don't think very widespread. I'm guessing b/n 30 - 35.

Edited by Bagheera, 20 February 2014 - 03:33 PM.

[Brethern]

Bagheera, on 20 February 2014 - 03:25 PM, said:

Both of those started around '97, and in those days email access in highschool was becoming more common, but I don't think very widespread. I'm guessing b/n 30 - 35.

Close, I got the address when I was in junior high.

Edited by Brethern, 20 February 2014 - 03:56 PM.

[Bagheera]

Ah, Jr High. I've intentionally forgotten so much of that awkward, unpleasant part of my life that I've forgotten it existed!

I based my guess on the notion you could have been around 17 in '97, so that probably puts the range in the next bracket of 5 down - 25-30. Let's take a stab ... 28?

[Brethern]

Bagheera, on 20 February 2014 - 06:48 PM, said:

Ah, Jr High. I've intentionally forgotten so much of that awkward, unpleasant part of my life that I've forgotten it existed!

I based my guess on the notion you could have been around 17 in '97, so that probably puts the range in the next bracket of 5 down - 25-30. Let's take a stab ... 28?

You're close enough to prove that it works. I'm 25.

[Bagheera]

Well, prove and works are probably generous words, but yeah it does seem plausible so far. If I could think of a third email related data point for the game we could probably get the range on the first try.

Edited by Bagheera, 21 February 2014 - 06:33 AM.

[Sandpit]

My first computer was a Commodore 64
I had an AOL account as my first ISP (using the free disks you could get)

Edited by Sandpit, 21 February 2014 - 11:42 AM.

[DaZur]

Sandpit, on 21 February 2014 - 11:41 AM, said:

My first computer was a Commodore 64
I had an AOL account as my first ISP (using the free disks you could get)

How many "free disks" did you receive in the mail before you installed...

[Alaskan Nobody]

Sandpit, on 21 February 2014 - 11:41 AM, said:

My first computer was a Commodore 64

I remember those! Used to play Rampage on it!
(and another monster game that was more RPG that I have been trying to remember any details of beyond vague screens for YEARS)

[Sandpit]

DaZur, on 21 February 2014 - 12:57 PM, said:

How many "free disks" did you receive in the mail before you installed...

I just kept taking em and using the free hours lol
then I managed to get the account info for my high school's aol account and racked up like 45897490587287 hours lol

there's another clue by the way

[Bagheera]

Hmm.. this requires some thought. My first computer was a hand-down vic20 that a friend's parents gave to my family when they bought him a c64.

So you could be my age (I remember those old AOL days in the mid 80s, by virtue of the same friend), or you could have been in HS in the mid 80s.

Requires more thought, but initial estimate: 37-42?

Edited by Bagheera, 22 February 2014 - 08:05 PM.