5. The FX Mature (The Aurors) Harry Potter TV Show

Site: IGN.com

Why it’s on the list: While the video is obviously fake, IGN should be commended for really going the extra yard to provide some April Fools shenanigans. For the past couple of years, IGN has released video based pranks and “The Aurors” ranks as one of their best. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll especially appreciate it.

4. SlashTweaks is the Mad Libs of the Internet

Site: Slashdot

Why it’s on the list: The most obvious online April Fools prank is to simply make up a story and publish it for people to either be fooled by or call out. Slashdot deserves a nod for letting the April 1st proceedings be interactive. Most of the stories presented on Slashdot today have a few keywords which allow users to change them to their liking. Although this will only be available today, it certainly provides an interesting idea which might work in some capacity.

3. Toshiba’s 3D Monocle

Site: Toshiba.com

Why it’s on the list: Like IGN’s prank, Toshiba really stepped up and put some dedication into their idea by creating a video. Unlike IGN, this isn’t a content provider but an electronics company who relies on innovation to sell products. Which is what makes their idea so great; they integrated the fake tech directly into their site.

They created a legitimate looking landing page which has this “Important Consumer Notice” – Refrain from using two Toshiba Spectacle 3D devices simultaneously in each eye. Doing so may cause each device to render the corresponding 3D image in 3D yet again, resulting in an uncomfortable and infinite loop.

2. The Gmail Motion Beta

Why it’s on the list: Google took all the ideas used in the three listed, besides SlashTweaks, and forged them into a super prank. They didn’t just create a video, they made three videos for Google Motion. Like Toshiba, Google integrated the prank link directly into one of their most used platforms, Gmail.

They didn’t stop there, Google utilized fake science to explain the reasoning behind Google Motion. I also have to give the idea its due because it’s the only prank to fake me out. In my defense, I didn’t read anything on the page, and went straight to the download link. Stupid call to action buttons.

1. Facebook Partners With Zynga to Launch ‘Relationships’

Site: Techcrunch

Why it’s on the list: This might be a controversial pick, because I imagine many people would select Google Motion over this TechCrunch story. Hear me out. One of the key ingredients to pulling off a successful April Fools prank is plausibility. Of all the pranks I’ve seen on the internet today, this is one which could potentially happen on some level in the future.

Although it has shades of being possible, TechCrunch went a bit too far which was probably on purpose so people really didn’t get in a stir over the fake news. They announced that Facebook and Zynga would be partnering up for a ‘Relationships’ product. The idea is pretty interesting. Users would be able to track people they are potentially interested in dating, and could engage in social games to help break the ice and get to know one another.

The first couple of paragraphs in the story really draw readers into something which might be believable. However, the deeper you read, the more ridiculous the features sound. For instance, the picture I posted above would allow users to post what base they got to with a date. I won’t spoil some of the other jokes, but needless to say it becomes even more extreme the further you read on.

Due to the drawing in of readers, and providing an article title which sounds believable, TechCrunch gets the award for best April Fools joke in 2011.

Honorable Mention: GoDaddy.com CEO defends his elephant killing shenani…oh wait, that really happened.

What April Fools jokes have you seen that deserve recognition for their dedication, plausibility, and final punch line?

Some of the coverage of this event portrays LaRussa as a guy with no sense of humor.

So what’s the fuss all about? Apparently the individual tweeting as Tony La Russa (@tonylarussa was removed after the lawsuit was filed) made statements that the real Tony didn’t appreciate. So he’s suing Twitter and the causes of action include trademark infringement, trademark dilution, cybersquatting, misappropriation of name and likeness, invasion of privacy, and intentional misrepresentation.

Two of the fake tweets in particular is actually very out of bounds. They read:

Lost 2 out of 3 but made it out of Chicago without one drunk driving incident or dead pitcher……I’d call that an I-55 series

Drinking a cold Zima and wishing f*$#@^ Hancock was alive, I bet he could’ve gotten Jack Wilson out.

Not so funny if you are the family of Darryl Kile who died while in Chicago with the team in 2002 of coronary disease or Josh Hancock who was killed while driving under the influence in 2007. LaRussa himself was arrested for a DWI offense in 2007.

I am not suggesting that we require good taste from people on the Internet. That’s like asking to move a beach full of sand one grain at a time. In this case, however, there may not have even been an issue if the imposter (who is a coward by the way) hadn’t been so dismissive of serious matters which bring in other innocent parties like families that want to put these things behind them. Maybe this is a rant but this crossed a line in my opinion.

So the legal side of this? You can see a description of the suit at the Citizen Media Law Project. What the courts determine will be interesting and there is little if any precedence to look to since this is not a domain name squatting case. The WSJ recently talked to this matter.

So what’s your take? Have you had any issues along these lines? What actions have you taken? Will this open the flood gates for cases, real or imagined, against Twitter and other social media players?

Comments

Now it seems that the “power players” of Twitter are being targeted—yet it’s not directly at them. Rather, it’s using them instead.

This latest trick sees users that have a certain authority on Twitter—i.e., thousands of followers—be the lucky target of a fake account with their details. Their image and name is used to trick unsuspecting users into thinking it’s the real person. Normally it’s a play on the person’s name—underscores, dashes, numbers, etc.

While these fakes are easy to spot if you know of the person in question, it’s a different matter if you’re either a new Twitter user or someone who doesn’t know Lee Odden, Chris Brogan or Andy Beal. These are the types of users that the scammers are targeting.

It’s also a major pain for the user whose name is used in this way—their reputation can be tarnished, for one thing. So what’s the answer?

• As a Twitter user, it may be an idea to mention in your profile that this is your only Twitter account—all others are fake.
• As soon as you see a spam or obviously fake account, report it to Twitter by sending a message to their spam team.
• Block the fake account—don’t let their numbers grow any further.

While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, downright identity theft is illegal. You can report suspected spammers to Twitter, but perhaps Twitter should start identifying these fake accounts to the targeted people and bring charges against them? It wouldn’t hurt their own reputation…

Comments