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I just randomly looked at the contributions of fivetwentisix, and there it lists two yearling badges, both awarded with about five minutes time difference on Aug 16. Actually, this user is here for 2 years and five months, and also hit his 200-rep mark long ago.

What is going on here?

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You get the Yearling badge in proportion to the necessary reputation and the age of the account. 200 reputation in one year is sufficient for the base point, but if you miss that requirement, then you don't automatically get the badge when you hit 200 reputation. Instead, you have a higher threshold to reach based on your current age. If, for example, you are at 1.5 years, you require 1.5 * 200 = 300 reputation to get your first Yearling badge.

On August 16th, fivetwentisix ended up at 495 reputation after earning 23 over the course of the day. At 2 years and 5 months, he would need at least around 483 reputation (plus or minus a bit, no more than 11 as it were) to qualify for getting the badge. In this scenario, because it's been over two years, he then earns the Yearling badge for both years in question, for finally reaching that rate of required yearly reputation. Assumedly, prior to this, the user had always been underneath the required threshold to even earn the first badge, for over a year as it were.

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    This looks like a strange algorithm - and it is not really documented as such in the description. Thanks for the clarification.
    – Paŭlo Ebermann
    Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 17:27
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    Here how I would have understood it from the description: If you registered at least a year ago, in the last 365.25 days got at least 200 reputation and didn't get already another yearling badge in this time span, you get the badge. This means that one has to work (a bit) for the badge, but is not randomly punished or rewarded for having signed up earlier (or stayed on longer).
    – Paŭlo Ebermann
    Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 17:32
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    Also described here.
    – Chris Frederick
    Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 17:35
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    How bizarre, thanks for the explanation.
    – kekekela
    Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 18:52
  • I had the same issue on my account (in about 1 minute interval) and it's defintaly seems like a bug :-) Though I love those badges on my chest :-)
    – Amittai Shapira
    Commented Sep 15, 2011 at 6:05
  • Blimey, this is odd! Just got Yearling for Aviation on consecutive days. The algorithm must have changed though, because I have been a member for 5yr 8mo and am still only at 417 rep there.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Dec 16, 2019 at 12:04
  • That's really a strange algorithm. Was it accidentally implemented that way or is that on purpose?
    – Thomas Weller
    Commented Jun 17, 2023 at 19:46

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