Thread 'by/date' headers

[mjmooney]

This isn't really an 'issue', just something I noticed and was curious about: 

Thread titles have a 'by <username> and a date below their title. I always assumed that this refers to the name of the thread creator and the date it was created. But sometimes it isn't. In the example below, the Science thread was indeed created by Nigel on March 4, 2014. But Paddy's 'Cheer You Up' was actually created by Paddy (natch) on August 15, 2010. Yet the header says it was rjw63 on Sep 26, 2012. All Rob did on that day was post a two-liner about totty. 

I'll have a guess: is it the first post after the thread was renamed (in Paddy's honour)?  Although I don't recall 'Things You Often Wonder' being renamed - actually started by tonyh29 on June 6, 2011, but tagged as me on July 22, 2012. 

Perhaps I thould have posted this in that very thread?   

EDIT: Added the screenshot! 

 

[blandy]

Simon might correct me, Mike, but the site got kind of upgraded maybe 5 or 7 years ago (?), or thereabouts, and that process, while largely seamless, seemed to mess with the older threads and their creation dates and originators. I recall quite a few threads being kind of out of synch, where older posts (from pre-upgrade) would appear after newer posts.

Basically, the master computer overlord* effed it up a bit.

 

*

[limpid]

What @blandy said.