Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ask Slashdot: Seen Any Good April Fool's Pranks Today?

Posted by EditorDavid on from the OMG-ponies dept.

An anonymous reader writes: It's that special time of year where sites around the net celebrate April Fool's Day with parodies of their own product offerings. Google Home announces a new companion service for smart yards called Google Gnome. Stack Overflow announces Dance Dance Authentication. The Russian foreign ministry changed their voicemail to include new menu options like "Press 2 to use the services of Russian hackers," and "press 3 to request election interference." And in what's either a really good prank or a horrific piece of bad timing, Phrack.org announces that they've been seized by the FBI.

Has anybody else noticed anything funny today?
The internet has a long history of April Fool's Day pranks, and it looks like 2017 is no exception. So use the comments to share what you're seeing around the web today. Seen any good April Fool's Day pranks today?

15 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. This by Artem+S.+Tashkinov · · Score: 5, Informative

    I absolutely loved this: Reg now behind invisible HTML5 Bitcoin paywall

    Tender and kind. Just what the doctor prescribed.

  2. I use this every year by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 5, Informative
    http://aprilfoolsdayontheweb.com/

    All the Google stuff is great as usual. Lexus' one is pretty good too.

    1. Re:I use this every year by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      They should sort out them what, cannot use commas.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    2. Re:I use this every year by allo · · Score: 2

      He's right, i am a native german speaker. For us it is logical to use a comma before relative sentences, to make clear what's the main sentence and what's not. Constructs with a lot of commas aren't uncommon in high german, while many people cannot do it right. So not using this comma is associated with sloppy chat speak and careless people here.
      But the oxford comma is optional in german, too.

      Sorry for infuriating you ... again ;-)

  3. April Fools is Over by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Waiting for April 1st for fake stories is no longer necessary.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  4. Re:Superbowl winning QB Tom Brady traded to Buffal by sycodon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This new Slashdot format better be a fucking prank.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  5. Apr 1st is stay at home day by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There are two days in the year when I just stay at home and avoid interacting with other human beings - in real life or on the internet: April 1st - the most pathetically unfunny day of the year - and December 25th - the most depressing day of the year.

    For some reason, this year I forgot today was April 1st and I visited Slashdot by mistake. I wish I hadn't...

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  6. This very site's new look... by Kergan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... is hopefully an April fools. I've been around for ~20 years, but if this is the site's new face then my eyes just can't take it.

    1. Re:This very site's new look... by Kjella · · Score: 3, Informative

      I guess you missed the OMG ponies theme? This is by far not the worst theme /. has had on April 1st.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  7. Re:Superbowl winning QB Tom Brady traded to Buffal by jenningsthecat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This new Slashdot format better be a fucking prank.

    I just assumed it was. When I checked in here at some time around 23:30 last night the site was what I've come to expect. When I reloaded at about 00:30 I noticed the change. But on further thought I'm not so sure... First, it looks more like a Hallowe'en prank than April Fool's. Second, I'm in the Eastern time zone; so if it is a prank, then they've gone to some trouble to load the prank version of the site selectively according to the user's location.

    Even if it is a prank, I'm afraid they might be using it to test the waters. I'm guessing they want to maintain the 'collapsed by default' format so they can shoehorn in still more of the advertising that's been getting increasingly obtrusive of late. And if stories remain collapsed by default, and I have to click on every single subject to read TFS, with no configuration option to change that, then I'm outta here.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  8. Daily Telegraph roundup by Bruce66423 · · Score: 2

    From the big corporates

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...

  9. Re:New /. format by DivineKnight · · Score: 2

    Yes, yes they do. But this year...this orange color scheme is...too loud. It's not a prank, it's violence.

  10. Re: Superbowl winning QB Tom Brady traded to Buff by LordByronStyrofoam · · Score: 4, Informative

    No, it's a play on Hacker News which has the orange theme.

    --
    Slashdot's name? When my compiler sees /. it generates a warning about a badly formed comment.
  11. Pornhub wins... by Mistakill · · Score: 5, Informative

    Pornhub apparently had a popup which stated it had automatic sharing to Facebook after watching a video... https://imgur.com/gallery/msFA...

  12. Slashdot's new look is one of them? by mfearby · · Score: 2

    This new look Slashdot is just awful. I assume this is just an April Fool's prank and you'll be resuming normal transmission soon?