Another April Fool’s Day has come, and another hundred Web sites have decided to pull pranks on their users. From Google announcing “Gmail Paper” to ThinkGeek publishing a list of fake gadgets (including the 8-bit tie that’s actually pretty cool), sites all over the net have switched up their regular content in favor of these gimmicky jokes. But I’m wondering if these stunts — which are really marketing ploys — are effective anymore.
First, when we know the joke is coming, is it funny anymore? I’m talking to Google here, who has been pulling April Fool’s pranks for years. Maybe it would be more effective if they took a few years off and posted pranks only when they were worth posting (this year’s Gmail Paper doesn’t exactly have me rolling on the floor).
And second, if everyone is doing it, the impact is diminished. And not just the impact of their jokes. It’s getting to the point that April Fool’s jokes are so widespread on the Web that you can’t tell what information is real. I’ve read so many blog posts in the last 24 hours that started off with something like “This isn’t an April Fool’s prank…”, including a job posting on Mashable. How could a job posting be considered a prank, unless everything on the Web today is suspect?
I’m really not trying to be a killjoy here. I enjoy a well done prank as much as the next guy. I’m just wondering if April Fool’s Day on the Web has become meaningless. For me — at least this year — it has.
If you’re interested, here’s a list of this year’s April Fool’s jokes.
