April Fools
I realize that I’m supposed to pull off some sort of bogus post that will get people upset, and then I jump out and yell “Gotcha!”, but I don’t think it’s possible anymore.
Duncan has the link to the classic example, the BBC’s Spaghetti Harvest. Google put in some effort with the ‘Search by smell’ option, and the Treasure Map overlay for Google Maps. Really, Fox News destroyed all of the reasonable goofs, because they report the Onion as if it was straight news.
How is a blogger supposed to compete with the editorial pages of the New York Times and Washington Post when it comes to absurd claims. Remember, a good wheeze requires that it can be exposed with a minimum of effort, otherwise it’s just another conspiracy theory. Who can actually prove that the whole moment that arose over Obama’s birth certificate didn’t start as a joke and then took on a life of its own? You have to be careful around small children, the Village, and conservatives – they’ll believe almost anything.
April 1, 2013 5 Comments
