Because the date on the account tells you how long somebody's been lurking, or if they had previous accounts.
I have been lurking here since about 2 years before you created your account (see what I did there?), and while comparisons with Reddit may have been misplaced, comparisons with Slashdot look more and more apt to me.
I have been lurking here since about 2 years before you created your account (see what I did there?), and while comparisons with Reddit may have been misplaced, comparisons with Slashdot look more and more apt to me.