Labelling April Fools

[Umbra]

G'day

I love April Fool jokes but they need to occur on 1st April otherwise there are problems.

On the internet in particular, some care needs to be taken because it is not 1st April everywhere at the same time. (eg MerricB's 'pre-emptive strike' from Australia re giant minatures [you absolute B.] and my anguish in Australia last year on the 2nd of April because of the TORN site post based where it was the 1st).

Labelling after the day is a good idea!

 

[drnuncheon]

Seriously a lie is something untrue told in a context reserved for truth.

And I would suggest that the context on April Fool's day is different than on any other day.

Just like you need to take Hong's posts in a certain way when he's in a certain mood (IYKWIMAITYD), the context of ENWorld changes when it's April Fool's.

For the record, I agree about the DJs, but really, can you compare that to the "Microsoft buys D&D" posting? I think that's way more of the 'first baby pictures' type of thing. Anyone that takes it seriously needs to take a hard look at their level of credulity.

J

 

[Saeviomagy]

Do the website in funky colors, or run the whole thing through the sweedish chef translator. hey, talk like a priate day was funny.

Kahuna Burger

Talk like a pirate day was funny? Funny colours constitute humour? Swedish chef translator?

Wow. Your sense of humour is a lot different to mine.

 

[Saeviomagy]

This afternoon NPR ran a joke new story about the Post Office making zip codes portable, so that when you move you won't need to change it. It was done totally tongue-in-cheek and was great. They tossed in lots of clues that it was a joke, but nothing overt. That's what this day is all about.

They've also totally lost the tradition.

If you make an april fool's joke after midday, you are the fool. That's tradition.

 

[FireLance]

April Fool's Day is great practice for the rest of the year. If you don't critically review every piece of "information" that comes your way - whether it's on an Internet web page, an announcement on the radio, a government press release, a television programme, or a statement from a company, to me that's even more foolish.

 

[hong]

Just like you need to take Hong's posts in a certain way when he's in a certain mood (IYKWIMAITYD)

Yeah, it's just me having a little fun with myself. Jeez, what's the world coming to when a guy can't even have a play with himself anymore?

Of course, this does tend to happen more often at certain times than others. For example, since Austria is west of the Equator, this means that we transition over to daylight saving time 24 hours before the eastern hemisphere. This has implications for several things (eg the y2k bug hit us in 2001 instead of 2000), but what I'm thinking of now is that April 1st actually happens in Austria on _March 31st_. Unfortunately, March 31st is a day that only occurs on a leap year, so we have to cram 4 times as much silliness into one day as anyone else. This encourages a certain frame of mind, as anyone who has seen those killer Austrian dropbears and man-eating platypae will attest.

Anyway, I think the situation would be resolved by signposting clearly all posts that are meant to be taken as humour, to prevent any unfortunate mixups. Of course, we are no longer in a purely textual environment, and so we have several tools available to us if we should pursue this course. I refer, of course, to smileys. Every post should have smileys if they are not meant to be taken seriously. In fact, I think every post should have lots of smileys because they relax the viewer and help to prevent unhealthy buildups of aggression . Un-altered reproduction and dissemination of this important information is encouraged especially to Usenet discussion groups.


ThaADVANCEnks!

 

[Silver Moon]

They've also totally lost the tradition. If you make an april fool's joke after midday, you are the fool. That's tradition.

Well, the joke was done by the production crew of "All Things Considered", which only airs in the afternoon, so it's not like they had an earlier opportunity to do so. Hey, the story was great.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Of course, this does tend to happen more often at certain times than others. For example, since Austria is west of the Equator, this means that we transition over to daylight saving time 24 hours before the eastern hemisphere. This has implications for several things (eg the y2k bug hit us in 2001 instead of 2000), but what I'm thinking of now is that April 1st actually happens in Austria on _March 31st_. Unfortunately, March 31st is a day that only occurs on a leap year, so we have to cram 4 times as much silliness into one day as anyone else. This encourages a certain frame of mind, as anyone who has seen those killer Austrian dropbears and man-eating platypae will attest.

It's quite evident, Hong, that you're not from Austria, as you keep quoting your dates in Far-Eastern Hemisphere format, mm/dd, instead of the far more widely accepted Near-Eastern and Western Hemisphere format of dd/mm. That and your name's not Bruce. And the plural of platypus is platypeau, not to be confused with platypeaux, with is the singular of a completely different species related to the jollyjumbux. As every good Austrian would know.

On topic, and taking a large leaf out of hong's very large book, could those with personal baggage resulting in them finding something offensive or inane in every attempt at humour please go and see your psychiatrists and talk to them about it. I occasionally make fun of people at their expense; most of the world does it; it may be the basest form of humour, but it's universal and commonplace. Those of us living in this nasty, brutish and oh-so-hurtful real world find those of lesser mental fortitude - or self-consciously PC - terribly irritating.

Oh, and

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[tarchon]

What!??!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, I think what he meant was that the Tim Allen movie <i>the Santa Clause</i> was a lie. Santa Claus is 100% real.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Oh, I think what he meant was that the Tim Allen movie <i>the Santa Clause</i> was a lie. Santa Claus is 100% real.

Well...no, now anymore. After that accident, he's not only 30% real. The other 70% is a gun-toting man-hunting ROBOT!