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Evan Prodromou

OK, bummer results here.

I'm a qualified yes. This tradition is one that's been important to me since my earliest days on the Internet.

I've always liked the gentle, goofy humour that comes from April Fool's Day jokes. And I'm impressed when people make cool hacks for their pranks.

It feels a day where we act like we are all on the same side, and all in on the joke. That this big network isn't something to take too seriously. That there's a straight line connection to that earlier time.

28 Mar 2023 at 20:03 | Open on cosocial.ca
3 comments
Evan Prodromou

We had a few April Fool's jokes on Identi.ca. One year, we launched a few fake social sites like Freelicious and Foursqualour, parodies of existing sites at the time.

Another year, everybody on the network took on new accounts spoofing Twitter celebrities of the time. It is one of my fondest memories of the network.

On Wikitravel, we created a travel guide to the fictional island of San Serriffe one year. It was a lot of fun.

wikitravel.org/en/San_Serriffe

28 Mar 2023 at 20:05 | Open on cosocial.ca
Evan Prodromou

I'm a qualified yes because I don't have the energy recently to do any pranks. But I miss it.

28 Mar 2023 at 20:06 | Open on cosocial.ca
Evan Prodromou

And yeah, I'm aware that the good old days on the Web weren't good for everyone, or even most people.

I know that the Internet culture of the 1990s and 2000s led directly to the surveillance capitalism and misinformation of today's Internet.

Maybe there'll be a time when we can all feel part of this Internet thing together, for real. ✌🏼

28 Mar 2023 at 20:16 | Open on cosocial.ca
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