Can you screenshot the raw data you're using to make the graphs?
>the linear trend is puzzling
Yes, very. Though post rate doesn't account for lurkers, and /qresearch/ isn't where newfags get sent generally.
Doctoring the base data means:
1) Deleting/adding posts
2) Deleting/adding threads
3) Deleting/adding time
I'd rather find the error in anon's data collection than go down any of those rabbit holes.