

Why have there been so many new accounts created on HN lately? - javert

Maybe my perception is faulty, but there seem to be a lot more green accounts around lately.<p>Where are they all coming from? Are they legitimate people, or socks? Does anybody have a way to check and see if the account creation number actually has been abnormal, in order to confirm or reject my suspicion? (Obviously pg can...)
======
jaredsohn
You can maybe get some understanding from the data gathered by Hacker News
Karma Tracker. This can only be done starting in February 2013, though, since
it only includes accounts that have made comments since mid-January.

3326: [http://hn-karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/february-2013](http://hn-
karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/february-2013)

2013: [http://hn-karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/march-2013](http://hn-
karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/march-2013)

1115: [http://hn-karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/april-2013](http://hn-
karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/april-2013)

1557: [http://hn-karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/may-2013](http://hn-karma-
tracker.herokuapp.com/month/may-2013)

2717: [http://hn-karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/june-2013](http://hn-karma-
tracker.herokuapp.com/month/june-2013)

973+: [http://hn-karma-tracker.herokuapp.com/month/july-2013](http://hn-karma-
tracker.herokuapp.com/month/july-2013)

Perhaps it is a change-in-season thing? (biggest months above are February and
June, although July looks like it will also be high.)

------
27182818284
I haven't personally noticed it in the short term. In the long term, I mean,
we've had accounts for roughly the same amount of time on the site so we've
both seen trends and the overall traffic is
[http://www.archub.org/hntraffic-17oct12.png](http://www.archub.org/hntraffic-17oct12.png)

------
malandrew
Possibly the desire to comment on the NSA stories anonymously maybe? Do you
have an approximate date when lots of new accounts were created?

------
RankHorror
Why would it matter? Are you that bored?

~~~
luke-stanley
It could mater if the system of ranking on HN is being gamed here, like how
the US Military has IP addresses that change the ranking of Reddit posts.

~~~
MisterWebz
_like how the US Military has IP addresses that change the ranking of Reddit
posts_

Care to elaborate?

~~~
andrewcooke
[http://blog.reddit.com/2013/05/get-ready-for-global-
reddit-m...](http://blog.reddit.com/2013/05/get-ready-for-global-reddit-
meetup-day.html) \- look at the "most addicted city".

~~~
MisterWebz
Most addicted city is apparently Eglin Air Force Base. But then how did you
conclude that they were changing the rankings of Reddit posts?

~~~
andrewcooke
i didn't. i am just trying to explain what the original poster was referring
to. i would guess that they're making some implication / assumption about
organized voting. but that's just a guess.

i thought maybe it would help you, but i get the impression you're more
interested in being pedantic for internet points... \me shrugs, walks away.

