Non-native speaker?
What if you happen to have the number 48 in mind and accidentally type 2048 instead? Happens to me every now and then. And what if someone uses some sort of ergonomic keyboard where 3 and 8 much more closer than on regular QWERTY?
And what if someone simply can't go through this thought process everytime they see an incorrect statement?
The point is, there's always a possibility. Two characters aren't a lot to type and help a lot.
There’s no way someone is thinking 2048 on New Year’s Day when this was taken, a year 25 away, stop making excuses
Correct. There are several other Interpretations. It's not unambiguous.