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Microsoft leads the way in banning April Fools' Day pranks
Everyone hates April Fools' Day, and Microsoft is taking a stand against its own corporate pranks. Microsoft's marketing chief Chris Capossela has warned all employees to not participate in the process of annoying hoaxes on Monday. In an internal memo, obtained and verified by The Verge, Capossela explains that "data tells us these stunts have limited positive impact and can actually result in unwanted news cycles." He encourages all teams inside Microsoft not to do any public-facing April Fools' Day stunts.
"I appreciate that people may have devoted time and resources to these activities, but I believe we have more to lose than gain by attempting to be funny on this one day," says Capossela. That's probably a safe bet, as we've seen some April Fools' Day pranks backfire spectacularly in the past. Google was forced to apologize for adding Despicable Me minions into emails and muting threads a few years ago, causing email havoc for Gmail users. Microsoft has also participated in many April Fools' Day pranks over the years, including an MS-DOS mobile for Windows Phone and Google insults.
#FakeNews?
Also at BGR.
See also: Everyone Should Follow Microsoft's Lead in Banning April Fools' Day Pranks
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday April 01 2019, @10:53AM (2 children)
Actual interference with services? No, not funny nor cool. (And, for example, since Soylent News functions as a news aggregation source, placing 'fake stories' is an interference unless that story is so over-the-top that absolutely no reader will buy into it for more than 5 seconds which is damned near impossible. That's aside from 'fake news' making such a play gauche).
Intended humor that does NOT interfere with service delivery.... that's called not taking oneself too seriously. Lack of humor is a disease the world has in such extreme form at the moment that there is no ass left for all the stick up it. And that's coming from someone who makes spare money from having his rectum logged out on an ongoing basis. (hopefully you understand but don't see what I meant there..... ;) ) We need nothing so dearly at this point than a good laugh and a really good April Fools joke does just that.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Monday April 01 2019, @01:51PM (1 child)
I prefer "weird but true" stories for April Fool's now.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday April 01 2019, @02:56PM
Those are good too - those ones where you actually wonder if you're being pranked or not yet brings a smile to one's face are best.
I've been going around today letting selective people (who will get it) personally know that our systems were upgraded over the weekend but some adverse effects were reported at other sites. If red, green, and blue smoke starts emanating from their computer, in that order and only in that order, then they need to get me right away. If black smoke pours out they should do nothing. Been getting some nice smiles and laughter.
This sig for rent.