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just don't read them If only they came with labels. Unfortunately, the hallmark of a web-based April Fool story is that it comes clothed as a real story. They'
by mechanical_fish 17y ago
just don't read them
If only they came with labels. Unfortunately, the hallmark of a web-based April Fool story is that it comes clothed as a real story. They're deliberately crafted to sucker you in and convince you to read two to six paragraphs before you figure out that they're made of lies.
In other words, April Fool's Day is a linkbait competition. I think that's why it has worn out its welcome for so many people. Linkbait used to be more funny when it was rare. Now it's like celebrating Mosquito Day, or Spam Email Day.
Yours would be a reasonable suggestion if every April Fool story was submitted with a prominent label reading [APRIL FOOL]. But that would spoil the fun, wouldn't it? If there's anything less fun than an April Fool story, it's an inartful April Fool story.
Frankly I think Google raised the bar years ago when they announced Gmail on April 1. I no longer think an April Fool story is any good unless it (a) sounds like an obvious April Fool joke but (b) is 100% true.
- cj 17y agoApril Fool's Day is a linkbait competition. Lighten up! It's only 24 hours. I think we can all survive.
- KirinDave 17y agoNo. You are making the site worse. When someone asks you to stop you say, “Lighten up! You'll live. It's only 24 hours.” This dodges the core issue: most people don't want that bullshit here. If you want that bullshit, there are many other news sites that will cater to your need for bullshit.
- asolove 17y agoIndeed. I keep thinking: if only there were some distributed way to determine which stories people thought should be voted up and which they thought should be voted down...
- kmt 17y agoNot all of them need labels. For example: Google Acquires the Internal Revenue Service. This is all recreational. But it sometimes also gives you perspective. Makes you think in a different way. That can't be bad. Besides, those who are really bothered by the jokes and are that dependent on HN that they cannot live without it for a day seem to have a different problem.