Nothing shows how long somebody has been a member

docs/architecture/agents-and-seo.md

@@ -151,8 +151,9 @@ member's name (and name + role queries):
   `:header_job` the profile header shows; `og:title` shares it. A member with
   neither keeps the bare name.
 - **ProfilePage JSON-LD** (`VutuvWeb.JsonLd.person/5`) carries the fields
-  search engines document for profile pages: `dateCreated`/`dateModified`
-  (account timestamps), `alternateName`/`identifier` (the handle),
+  search engines document for profile pages: `dateModified` (never
+  `dateCreated`, which would say how long the member has been here, and vutuv
+  shows that nowhere), `alternateName`/`identifier` (the handle),
   `interactionStatistic` (followers as a FollowAction counter),
   `agentInteractionStatistic` (posts as a WriteAction counter) — plus the
   Person entity enriched from what the page already loaded (accuracy rule,
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ are masks computed from pixel coordinates. It replaced the square avatar as
 thumbnail on Slack and Signal), and the wide 1.91:1 shape is the one they all
 draw large. On X the picture is the whole card — since 2024 it shows nothing
 but the image, a tiny title overlay and the domain — so the card carries the
-words. The card's few words (followers, member since, the date) are in the
+words. The card's few words (a profile's follower count, a post's date) are in the
 member's own locale, one file for everybody who shares the link. The typeface
 is the first of a family list fontconfig finds (Inter when installed, else the
 platform sans), and the line metrics are measured at render time, never

docs/architecture/mastodon-api.md

@@ -776,6 +776,8 @@ readable. `Presenter.timestamp/1` is the one owner of that shape — the
 notification list used to hold a second copy, which kept second precision after
 the other was fixed.
 
+**Every member's `created_at` is 1 April 1970.** The field is required and every app shows it as the day the account joined, and how long somebody has been a member is shown nowhere on vutuv (2026-09-18). Leaving it out is not an option for the reason above: an app that cannot read a date fails or falls back. So all members share one placeholder in Mastodon's shape (`Presenter`'s `@member_created_at`); a page keeps its real date, and the stored `inserted_at` is untouched.
+
 **Advertising a version is a promise about the shape of the API.** This adapter
 says it is compatible with 4.4, and a client reads that to decide which
 endpoints exist: Ice Cubes therefore calls `GET /api/v2/notifications` (the

lib/vutuv/mastodon_api/presenter.ex

@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ defmodule Vutuv.MastodonApi.Presenter do
   alias VutuvWeb.Markdown
   alias VutuvWeb.RemoteMediaToken
 
+  # Every member's `created_at`. The field is required and every app shows it
+  # as the day the account joined, and how long somebody has been a member is
+  # shown nowhere on vutuv (Stefan, 2026-09-18). Leaving it out or sending
+  # something unparseable is not an option: Ivory and Ice Cubes fail on a date
+  # they cannot read (see `timestamp/1`). So all members share one placeholder,
+  # printed through `timestamp/1` like every other time. A page keeps its real
+  # date.
+  @member_created_at ~U[1970-04-01 00:00:00Z]
+
   def identity_name(%User{} = user),
     do: Identity.display_name(user) <> " (@" <> user.username <> ")"
 
@@ -59,7 +68,7 @@ defmodule Vutuv.MastodonApi.Presenter do
       acct: user.username,
       display_name: Identity.display_name(user),
       note: note(user.headline),
-      created_at: created_at(user, user.id),
+      created_at: timestamp(@member_created_at),
       url: profile_url(user),
       avatar: avatar,
       header: header,
@@ -1217,11 +1226,12 @@ defmodule Vutuv.MastodonApi.Presenter do
     |> DateTime.to_iso8601()
   end
 
-  # Not every caller hands over a fully loaded row: `Vutuv.Search` selects the
-  # few columns a result list needs, so `inserted_at` can be absent. Raising
-  # over a missing display timestamp would be the wrong trade, and there is a
-  # better answer than nil — the id is a UUIDv7 and carries its own creation
-  # time.
+  # Not every caller hands over a fully loaded row: a query that selects only
+  # the few columns a list needs leaves `inserted_at` out (search once did this
+  # for members, whose date is a fixed placeholder now). Raising over a missing
+  # display timestamp would be the wrong trade, and for a page there is a better
+  # answer than nil — its id is a UUIDv7 and carries its own creation time, which
+  # is what `created_at/2` falls back to.
   def timestamp(_missing), do: nil
 
   defp created_at(%{inserted_at: at}, _id) when not is_nil(at), do: timestamp(at)

lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex

@@ -671,7 +671,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.AgentDocs.Markdown do
       User.desired_workplace_line(doc.desired_workplace_types) &&
         "- #{gettext("Preferred workplace")}: #{User.desired_workplace_line(doc.desired_workplace_types)}",
       doc.desired_salary && "- " <> User.desired_salary_agent_line(doc.desired_salary),
-      "- #{gettext("Member since")}: #{doc.member_since}",
       fediverse_fact(doc[:fediverse]),
       count_facts(doc.counts),
       birthday_facts(doc)

lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/profile_doc.ex

@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.AgentDocs.ProfileDoc do
       headline_markdown: user.headline,
       work_info: work_info,
       current_position: current_position(job),
-      member_since: NaiveDateTime.to_date(user.inserted_at),
       avatar_url: avatar_url(user),
       counts: profile_counts(user, viewer),
       tags: Enum.map(user.user_tags, &SectionDocs.tag_entry/1),

lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex

@@ -640,7 +640,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.AgentDocs.Text do
       User.desired_workplace_line(doc.desired_workplace_types) &&
         "#{gettext("Preferred workplace")}: #{User.desired_workplace_line(doc.desired_workplace_types)}",
       doc.desired_salary && User.desired_salary_agent_line(doc.desired_salary),
-      "#{gettext("Member since")}: #{doc.member_since}",
       fediverse_fact(doc[:fediverse]),
       count_facts(doc.counts),
       birthday_facts(doc)

lib/vutuv_web/controllers/og_image_controller.ex

@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.OgImageController do
   alias VutuvWeb.PostTeaser
   alias VutuvWeb.UI
   alias VutuvWeb.UserHelpers
-  alias VutuvWeb.UserHTML
 
   # How many tags the profile card offers the pill rows; the renderer keeps
   # as many as fit two rows.
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.OgImageController do
   def profile(conn, %{"slug" => slug}) do
     png =
       with %User{} = user <- public_member(slug) do
-        in_locale(user, fn -> OgImage.profile_png(profile_data(user)) end)
+        in_locale(user, fn -> OgImage.profile_png(profile_card_data(user)) end)
       end
 
     ControllerHelpers.send_og_image(conn, png, "image/png")
@@ -120,8 +119,14 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.OgImageController do
     end
   end
 
-  defp profile_data(%User{} = user) do
-    Map.merge(author_fields(user), %{tags: tags(user), meta: profile_meta(user)})
+  @doc false
+  def profile_card_data(%User{} = user) do
+    # The follower count and nothing else: how long somebody has been a member
+    # is shown nowhere, so the join year this line once carried is gone.
+    Map.merge(author_fields(user), %{
+      tags: tags(user),
+      meta: OpenGraph.follower_detail(Social.follower_count(user))
+    })
   end
 
   defp post_data(%Post{} = post, %User{} = author) do
@@ -159,14 +164,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.OgImageController do
     end
   end
 
-  # "7 followers · Member since 2016"; each half only when it has something to
-  # say.
-  defp profile_meta(%User{} = user) do
-    [OpenGraph.follower_detail(Social.follower_count(user)), UserHTML.member_since(user)]
-    |> Enum.reject(&(&1 in [nil, ""]))
-    |> Enum.join(" · ")
-  end
-
   # The profile's address as a reader would type it: host and handle, no
   # scheme — `www.` included when the installation serves under it.
   defp address(%User{username: username}), do: "#{VutuvWeb.Endpoint.host()}/#{username}"

lib/vutuv_web/fediverse/docs.ex

@@ -142,10 +142,16 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.Fediverse.Docs do
   @doc "The same address the way it is written for humans: `@member@vutuv.de`."
   def handle(user), do: "@" <> acct(user)
 
-  @doc "The Person document WebFinger points at."
+  @doc """
+  The Person document WebFinger points at.
+
+  It carries no `published`: Mastodon shows an actor's `published` as the day
+  the account joined, and how long somebody has been a member is shown nowhere
+  on vutuv (2026-09-18). A page and a topic keep theirs.
+  """
   def actor(user, %Actor{} = actor) do
     user
-    |> base_actor(actor, user.inserted_at)
+    |> base_actor(actor)
     |> Map.merge(%{
       "type" => Vutuv.Identity.ap_type(user),
       "preferredUsername" => user.username,
@@ -214,8 +220,9 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.Fediverse.Docs do
   """
   def tag_actor(%Tag{} = tag, %Actor{} = actor) do
     tag
-    |> base_actor(actor, tag.inserted_at)
+    |> base_actor(actor)
     |> Map.merge(%{
+      "published" => iso8601(tag.inserted_at),
       "type" => "Group",
       "preferredUsername" => tag.slug,
       "name" => tag.name,
@@ -235,7 +242,7 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.Fediverse.Docs do
   # inbox — were among the copies. The per-kind builders stay separate on
   # purpose, because half of the member document has no meaning for a page or a
   # topic; only this half is shared.
-  defp base_actor(subject, %Actor{} = actor, published_at) do
+  defp base_actor(subject, %Actor{} = actor) do
     actor_url = actor_url(subject)
 
     %{
@@ -249,7 +256,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.Fediverse.Docs do
       "followers" => followers_url(subject),
       "endpoints" => %{"sharedInbox" => shared_inbox_url()},
       "manuallyApprovesFollowers" => false,
-      "published" => iso8601(published_at),
       "publicKey" => %{
         "id" => key_id(subject),
         "owner" => actor_url,
@@ -290,8 +296,9 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.Fediverse.Docs do
   """
   def organization_actor(%Organization{} = organization, %Actor{} = actor) do
     organization
-    |> base_actor(actor, organization.inserted_at)
+    |> base_actor(actor)
     |> Map.merge(%{
+      "published" => iso8601(organization.inserted_at),
       "type" => Vutuv.Identity.ap_type(organization),
       # The page's claimed handle. Federating without one is not possible —
       # WebFinger's `subject` and this field both need an address — which is why

lib/vutuv_web/views/json_ld.ex

@@ -139,16 +139,17 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.JsonLd do
   enrich the Person entity with the cards the page shows, and the verified
   entries of `:urls` (the member proved the page is theirs,
   `Vutuv.Profiles.LinkVerification`) join `sameAs` as identity links.
-  `dateCreated` / `dateModified` + the interaction counters are the fields
-  search engines document for profile-page markup.
+  `dateModified` + the interaction counters are the fields search engines
+  document for profile-page markup. `dateCreated` is one of them too and is
+  left out on purpose: it would say how long the member has been here, which
+  vutuv shows nowhere.
   """
   def person(user, job, user_tags, social_accounts, extras \\ %{}) do
     url = AgentDocs.abs_url("/" <> user.username)
 
     %{
       "@context" => "https://schema.org",
       "@type" => "ProfilePage",
-      "dateCreated" => iso_utc(user.inserted_at),
       "dateModified" => iso_utc(user.updated_at),
       "mainEntity" =>
         compact(%{

lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex

@@ -277,29 +277,6 @@ defmodule VutuvWeb.UserHTML do
     end
   end
 
-  @doc """
-  How long the account has been on vutuv, derived from `inserted_at`.
-
-  "Member since 2008" for an older account; "Member since February 2026" when
-  the account was created in the current year, where a bare year reads oddly
-  for a fresh profile so the month is spelled out. Follows the viewer's locale
-  via gettext. Returns nil for an unsaved struct with no `inserted_at`.
-  """
-  def member_since(%Vutuv.Accounts.User{inserted_at: %NaiveDateTime{} = inserted_at}) do
-    joined = NaiveDateTime.to_date(inserted_at)
-
-    if joined.year == Vutuv.BerlinTime.today().year do
-      gettext("Member since %{month} %{year}",
-        month: month_name(joined.month),
-        year: joined.year
-      )
-    else
-      gettext("Member since %{year}", year: joined.year)
-    end
-  end
-
-  def member_since(_user), do: nil
-
   @doc """
   The profile header's picture, and the click that opens it at full size
   (issue #1528).

priv/dev_docs/data-model.md

@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ The central entity. A member (`type: "profile"` in API responses) has:
   **Honor these**: if your app feeds profiles into an LLM, skip members
   with `"noai?": true`. (The public `.json`/`.md` pages carry the same
   choice as `Content-Signal` and `X-Robots-Tag` response headers.)
-* **`member_since`:** the registration date.
 
 A member who never verified their email address, or who is currently
 moderated, is invisible through the API — see

priv/gettext/de/LC_MESSAGES/default.po

@@ -2076,16 +2076,6 @@ msgstr "März"
 msgid "May"
 msgstr "Mai"
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:292
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{month} %{year}"
-msgstr "Mitglied seit %{month} %{year}"
-
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:297
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{year}"
-msgstr "Mitglied seit %{year}"
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/components/ui.ex:3753
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
 msgid "November"
@@ -3978,12 +3968,6 @@ msgstr "Antwort auf einen gelöschten Beitrag."
 msgid "In reply to a post by %{name}."
 msgstr "Antwort auf einen Beitrag von %{name}."
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:674
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:643
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since"
-msgstr "Mitglied seit"
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:256
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:218
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format

priv/gettext/default.pot

@@ -2038,16 +2038,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "May"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:292
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{month} %{year}"
-msgstr ""
-
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:297
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{year}"
-msgstr ""
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/components/ui.ex:3753
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
 msgid "November"
@@ -3863,12 +3853,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "In reply to a post by %{name}."
 msgstr ""
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:674
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:643
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since"
-msgstr ""
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:256
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:218
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format

priv/gettext/en/LC_MESSAGES/default.po

@@ -2036,16 +2036,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "May"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:292
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{month} %{year}"
-msgstr ""
-
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:297
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{year}"
-msgstr ""
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/components/ui.ex:3753
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
 msgid "November"
@@ -3861,12 +3851,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "In reply to a post by %{name}."
 msgstr ""
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:674
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:643
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since"
-msgstr ""
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:256
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:218
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format

priv/gettext/it/LC_MESSAGES/default.po

@@ -2076,16 +2076,6 @@ msgstr "Marzo"
 msgid "May"
 msgstr "Maggio"
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:292
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{month} %{year}"
-msgstr "Membro da %{month} %{year}"
-
-#: lib/vutuv_web/views/user_html.ex:297
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since %{year}"
-msgstr "Membro dal %{year}"
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/components/ui.ex:3753
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
 msgid "November"
@@ -3985,12 +3975,6 @@ msgstr "In risposta a un post eliminato."
 msgid "In reply to a post by %{name}."
 msgstr "In risposta a un post di %{name}."
 
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:674
-#: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:643
-#, elixir-autogen, elixir-format
-msgid "Member since"
-msgstr "Membro da"
-
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/markdown.ex:256
 #: lib/vutuv_web/agent_docs/text.ex:218
 #, elixir-autogen, elixir-format