What do you like about April Fools Day?

I started my last job on April's Fool Day. I always thought it was funny, but not many others did. I walked into the department office at 8.30am on a Monday and by 9.00am I was in a class giving a lecture, without any preparation at all! It probably wasn't my best ever lecture. It was one of the most unusual things that happened to me, along with giving a short course on Basic computing using the Octopus system (No - I'd never heard of it either) to a group of Nuns!

Dubbie

Happy Birthday to my sister, an April 1 birthday.

I have always been underwhelmed by the stupid April Fool's pranks.

I know some people think they are fun, but I am not one of them.

DAB

Aside of the pranking:

Every year: it's the birthday of my son.

This year: my project at work got the green light and goes live that day.

I used to be that you couldn't believe anything you heard on April Fool's Day.

Now that is the case every day....

Similarly pranks aren't limited to Apr 1.

It might be useful if all foolery was constrained to Apr 1.

I really don't see any net positives in lies and pranks.

To answer the question, I like when it is over.

Over here (Belgium) , the goal is to either directly prank someone (your shoelace is loose </drumfill>) or to send someone around.

The second one is more elaborate. If you are new in a company, they will send you to 5, 6 different parts of the organsisation to get something that does not exist.

When I worked at a truck factory, they would send you to go get tap water at the maintenance department.

They would then say that you need a voucher for it, and send you to someone else.

They would give you a voucher (often with a reference to a fish written on it) and send you to another department for a stamp.

With that stamped document, you could go back to maintenance, who would give you a tin can filled with water. They'd say to hurry up because it evaporates.

Then you would proudly arrive with the canister of water at your department, where they 'd take it in as if it was invaluable.

I can certainly appreciate that a lot of the pranks are in poor taste, and some are certainly not so much pranks as being cruel. I don't favour those at all.

cstanton  wrote:

 

I can certainly appreciate that a lot of the pranks are in poor taste, and some are certainly not so much pranks as being cruel. I don't favour those at all.

It may be cultural, but April 1 pranks are supposed to be bad taste yet no harm. They should be obvious after the facts.

No humiliation, no harm. Yet fun.

I'm not a fan of April Fools Day.  For the most part, life is tough enough without intentional cruelty (pranks).  We had them aplenty in the Army (blackout drive fluid, blinker fluid, flight line, left handed wrenches, etc.)  Preying on the innocent is not humor.  Plastic wrap over the toilet is not humor.

With that being said, from time to time there are some creative stories that are well crafted - like some of the auto industries April Fools Day releases.  One article on disposable cars was almost convincing.  I can't remember the actual car names, but they were similar to the Dodge Déchet (French for junk) or the Ford Basura (Spanish for trash).  That was a funny article.

My favourite ever April Fools advert - I saw this when it appeared in print in a newspaper, genius!

http://hoaxes.org/af_database/permalink/insect_deflector_screen