[WikiEN-l] Re: Friday's featured article

Wed Mar 30 14:48:23 UTC 2005

Viajero said:
> Andrew Lih wrote:
>
>> HOWEVER, I would beg folks not to make it "subtly marked" but rather
>> *obviously marked* at the end.
>>
>> An April Fools joke is only fun when you can blame the reader for
>> missing an obvious doozie that gives it away. Right now, it does not
>> have such a kicker or punchline to let people in on the secret. If we
>> do not, it would amount to devious and malicious intent, which would
>> do a disservice to Wikipedia's reputation.
>
> Wow, this is an amazingly cautious attitude. You are saying we should
> take into account that on *April 1* some naive soul might read the
> text,  miss all the inconguities and jokes, arrive at the bottom, not
> be  explicitly told it is a joke, and blame Wikipedia for deceiving
> them?
>
> I'm ...ah... speechless.

I've been watching this conversation with mounting disbelief.  Somebody
please tell me that the seeming loss of sense of humor on the part of a
number of Wikipedians is all part of a prolonged jape, to be brought to a
hilarous conclusion this Friday.  No?
April fools jokes are traditional.  People reading a joke article on April
1 will not feel unduly put out.  Most of them.  We can just laugh at those
who are. That's the whole point of the exercise--to puncture pretensions,
confound expectations and--dare I say it--have a laugh!