Ethics of April Fool's Pranks

McC · Post by **McC** » 2005-04-02 10:58am

Considering last year and this year, I'm tempted to ask what everyone thinks is "too far" for an AFD prank.

For me, getting someone to do something wherein they end up looking foolish but can laugh at themselves is a good prank. Convincing someone that something awful has happened is not. A few of yesterday's pranks qualify for that and, while I was skeptical of everything on the boards yesterday, I still found some of the stuff to be in poor taste.

So where's the line drawn for you? What's too far, and what remains funny?

This is not to turn into a rant thread!! If it does, hopefully a mod will see that people are violating the conditions of the OP and split/lock it.

Robert Walper · Post by **Robert Walper** » 2005-04-02 11:11am

I would say any prank that seriously bothers someone or causes extended stress or pain is too much. The problem being, with this webboard, you get those who over react or don't have similar tolerances to certain types of pranks.

Frankly, a smart poster on the board takes every single post and thread with a grain of salt on April Fool's. If you're not sure, don't comment or participate for the day.

Psycho Smiley · Post by **Psycho Smiley** » 2005-04-02 11:31am

My personal rule is, if it would be too far on any other day of the year, it's still too far on April 1st. The day just gives you an excuse to pull the pranks, not carte blanche to get away with them.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2005-04-02 12:17pm

If a Reuters or someone like that ran a story about an ebola outbreak in the Bronx, or something equally stupid, they would obviously have gone too far, but getting your panties tied in a knot over an April 1st prank that happened in an internet forum is just silly.

The child in me says that the more outrage an April 1st prank succeedes in causing on SD.net the better the prank was and that the people who complain about it are whiny bitches. The (not quite so) crown up in me says that members who buy in to April 1st pranks really should have known better and have no but themselves to blame for it.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2005-04-02 12:44pm

Pranks that cause people to turn against their fellows are too much, unless all of those turning against each other are in on it.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2005-04-02 02:04pm

Lies are not pranks, just to clarify. I hate the "April Fools pranks" that are just lies. And people expect it to be funny

.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2005-04-02 02:38pm

On a web board I'd say I'd say pretty much anything goes short of mass bannings and post editing/deletion. The secret shitlist, the faked smear jobs, breakups, deaths, all that is fair game.

In real life, I'd say as long as no one gets hurt and no permanent property damage is done. Painting your roommate's face hot pink with wash-off dye is cool, doing it with spraypaint is not. No harm, no foul, more or less.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-04-02 02:51pm

"Oh, come now, Darling. When have I ever played a practical joke?"
"Well, there was that time you convinced us you needed a kidney transplant... and I gave you one of mine... and we had to throw it out."

aerius wrote:On a web board I'd say I'd say pretty much anything goes short of mass bannings and post editing/deletion. The secret shitlist, the faked smear jobs, breakups, deaths, all that is fair game.

In real life, I'd say as long as no one gets hurt and no permanent property damage is done. Painting your roommate's face hot pink with wash-off dye is cool, doing it with spraypaint is not. No harm, no foul, more or less.

I completely concur.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2005-04-03 08:15pm

A good April Fool's joke is a joke, and you tell people it was a prank immediately after or the next day.

You don't hurt people (no putting bleach in their cake, no physical abuse).

Otherwise, it's harmless. Some of those "practical joke" lists out there are anything but ethical or even legal, stuff like putting super glue in people's contact lense solutions or whatnot. That's insane and cruel... and the fact that there's people crazy enough to try that makes me cringe. ; p

It's all about good fun, like Halloween "tricks." But some people can take it too far, I agree.

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2005-04-03 08:28pm

Pretty much what aerius said. But I'd like to add that I hate it when people pull a prank like "Hey, it's my birthday." And then when you believe them they go "Ha! What a fucking dumbass! You're such a retard! April fools moron!" as if it would have been at all possible to figure it out. What Dark did was good though.

EmperorChrostas the Cruel · Post by **EmperorChrostas the Cruel** » 2005-04-03 09:27pm

And of course it helps if the the fucking joke is actualy ON April 1st.

Vile allegation.
April fool!
Uh, it's still the 31st.
Har har, you fell for it, April fool!
But, it's not April 1st!

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-04-05 03:50am

hereare a few examples of taking it at bit too far

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2005-04-05 02:21pm

I'm not really sure. I for one saw absolutly nothing wrong with last years "ban list", and still don't see why some people got so worked up over it.

This years one by the mess I could see being too far if the member in question wasn't aware of it, which wasn't the case. Perhaps in bad taste, but so are many jokes and pranks. That alone doesn't make them bad.

Basically I would consider it too far if it can cause physical or psychological harm to the victim. Nothing here I've seen has done that.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2005-04-05 03:55pm

DPDarkPrimus wrote:Pranks that cause people to turn against their fellows are too much, unless all of those turning against each other are in on it.

The problem with this standard is that it relies on the REACTION to a prank, instead of the prank itself, to determine what has gone too far. This, essentially, fails to clarify anything since the point is to be able to establish what will lead people to react unfavorably to a prank.

As an example, last year on April Fools, I posted a thread with the title "French NUKES found in Iraq," and then the OP said only "Gotcha!" Some posters thought that it was amusing, while at least one attacked me over the prank.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2005-04-05 04:37pm

As somebody already said, there's nothing special about that date that makes it perfectly fine to play pranks and not suffer the consequences. Hell, there's nothing special about that date in most countries at all. If you play a prank on somebody, you better damn well know that person is going to react well to it, and if he doesn't, it's nobody's fault but yours. Same goes for April 1 or December 28 or whatever.