Yes, it is indeed April 1st

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

I knew (after a momentary confusion)-the only one that actually baffled me was the Eliza getting married posts- otherwise it was too sudden and I know two of the players personally- and the others by online rep......but I can see how it might upset some people.

Ah well, cest la vie!

Wait, they were just baffling, which I could understand, or you really thought I was planning to get married. If it's the latter, whoa. The married bit was what I thought would really convince people that it was all a big fat lie. ''

Is that you in the picture? If so, you are pretty and have pretty, bouncy perfect hair!

[Moonliner]

My April 1st score card was fairly dismal...

I did not even notice the buttons had been switched, I have a bookmark that takes me directly to the new posts page.

I also failed to notice that the avatars were missing until late in the day. Doh!

I did not buy into the whole kevy thing and was censored by the man for posting vague references to the issue. In fact it took three PM's before I finally figured out what/why/who had been edited for me. The original post had one more line: An April fools joke?

My one attempt at joining the days levity apparently went over like a lead baloon. No comments or replys, it was just flat out ignored..

I also pooh-poohed the whole MiceChat hack thread as a very weak attempt to imitate what was being staged here. Of course that turned out to be the one true story of the day.

So I am giving my official notice. I'll be sick next April 1st with a very bad headache and won't be able to visit. I'll send in a doctor’s note if you like.

Well played one and all.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

That doesn't change the fact that he said some pretty acidic things about Kevy and ML. If he didn't mean those things, he should post and say so. If he did, he should back up what he said. That's pretty uncool.

Personally, I would hope that this does happen, but happen via PM. I think it is time for everyone to forgive and forget and move on and the boards return the their swankiness.

I think it is so funny that neither CP or I knew about this in advance. I mean, we're both married to Admins (I'm married to all three!). I sit next to Chris in our office, I talk to Fej daily - and GD almost as much; and, I am an Admin myself (obviously the forgotten one ). I think I was hurt that the guys didn't tell me - for about 6 minutes. I got over it. I see why they kept it with a few people as possible. This prank STILL makes me laugh.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

That doesn't change the fact that he said some pretty acidic things about Kevy and ML. If he didn't mean those things, he should post and say so. If he did, he should back up what he said. That's pretty uncool.

Yeah, well, the thing is I did mean those things. Those are things I would not have said in polite company had I not been punk'd like I fell off the turnip truck just yesterday.

I will be glad if GD's jaw is feeling better today, but I will also admit my immaturity in relishing his pain for a while yesterday.

Once I found out it was a joke, I was monumentally pissed ... for all of five minutes. Then I laughed and laughed and laughed, and could not help but admire the diabolical genius of the plot.

It turned out, though, that the plot was not as genius-inspired as I was at first led to believe, and that far too many consequences were unintended and negligently unanticipated.

By hacking the boards themselves, putting out a phoney story that Scott and Kevy had been banned, and then letting the two of them post maniacally all day - the plotters in effect fingered the two saps for hacking the boards. This was, imo, not a cool thing to do to any of our members. Especially if you're not going to let one particularly hot-tempered moderator in on the "joke."


I love mischief and I live for humour, but I've seen way too many pranks in my day go too far or have unintended bad results. In this case, in defense of the message board that I have a duty to moderate, I went off on two members who had been set up to take the fall -- and I said things that are true in my heart, but that I would never have said to either of them had I not perceived an attack on this message board and on the friends who would have to toil to fix any real hack. Needless to say, I feel a bit betrayed by those who would have to toil to fix any real hack. I appreciate the joke, but it's the last time I will come to the defense of any above-and-beyond work they have to do around here.

And yeah, now it's out in the open that I really don't like Kevin, and that I think Scott is a little too mentally unbalanced for my tastes. I find it completely believable that Scott would freak out about SacTown and go on a madness binge, and that Kevy would be an asshole of the 9th degree. I could have gone on indefinitely being tactful and civil to them in the social circles we all share, but that's over now. Feelings have been hurt, and I take real offense at the April Fool's plot that, funny as it was, went way too far (imo).

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I guess it's good to know that people care so much about our board and the people in this group.

THAT's what I take away from all of this.

[MickeyD]

Damn, I guess I missed all the fun. From my point of view, not having been around on the 1st, just having read a recap, I don't get what everyone is so hacked off about. Oh well.

I did get to indulge in my evil streak though. It just so happened that we were returning a day early from our mission trip on the 1st (due to impossibly high winds), so I told each teen to call their parents and pretend that the reason they had to pick them up early is because they were caught in a tent with a member of the opposite sex.

[Prudence]

I swear this is the last time I'm going to comment on this issue. And, gosh, I hope this comes out the right way.

I thought the buttons were funny. Ha! FAQ goes to MP! I thought the word replaces were funny. And if the day had been full of sly tricks like this (a color scheme that changes hourly! random avatar swapping!) it would have been molto groovy.

The part that wasn't cool, for me, involved spoofing on interpersonal relationships. This *feels* like a community sometimes. And many people are local and see one another somewhat regularly. But for some of us it's all just a bunch of pixels.

And it's dangerous. To make a courtroom analogy (because let's face it, that's all I have any more): You've all seen courtroom dramas where the attorney asks a question, opposing counsel objects, and the objection is sustained. The jury is supposed to disregard the question, but, as they say, you can't unring the bell.

And even more damaging is as mentioned above: when people say things they wouldn't otherwise have said and reveal interpersonal relationship bits that *are* true, but that perhaps they would have rather not have been public knowledge. And that's what made me most upset. Not the initial joke (I do have a calendar and I am the champion foole at work), but the fact that as it unraveled I wasn't sure who was saying things in character and who was really angry. That's the part that left me confused. And concerned. And ultimately fairly angry myself.

And while I know y'all would never do this -- believe me, I do know this -- it started to take on a mean-spirited form, as if the goal was to get people to make disparaging comments about specific people that they wouldn't have otherwise said. In otherwords, strip away the little white lies we use to grease the social wheels. And while it makes for an interesting sociology experiment, it's not necessarily the nicest way to treat others.

If life were to grant us all a do-over, I respectfully suggest that further such episodes eliminate the interpersonal flavor. For example, Eliza's post was fabulous. Maybe someone could have inherited a mink farm from their uncle back in NC and they have to leave to go attend to it. (Hey, we used this one at work the day everyone "quit" and this was NOT the explanation that made our chairperson suspicious!) Heck, I don't even have a problem with the idea that the board was hacked. I only object to interfering with interpersonal relationships in a way that wasn't necessarily positive.

Which is a version of what I was trying to say earlier, but was too mad to do properly.

And now I'm off to do something much more important.

Like post what song is in my head.

Admit it. Now you want to know.

[Claire]

You must spread some Mojo around before giving it to Prudence again.

Just thought I'd let you know. Excellent post. As someone who wasn't online from 3/31 until yesterday, I gotta say I'm a bit surprised by what went on, and I can't read half of it, because MickeyLumbo's posts are gone.

People can't help how they feel about a situation and I can't say how I would have reacted had I been online. Most likely I would have just taken another break from the boards instead of posting. Or not. Perhaps I would have been upset or angry or confused or amused. I'm not sure.

Carry on. Heal thyselves and thine community.

~Claire, who always misses the good shtuff

[Cadaverous Pallor]

And while I know y'all would never do this -- believe me, I do know this -- it started to take on a mean-spirited form, as if the goal was to get people to make disparaging comments about specific people that they wouldn't have otherwise said.

The idea that you ever believed, even for a second, that this was an intended consequence absolutely baffles me. It's more unbelievable than Kevy being able to hack the board.

I know you don't believe this now but the idea that ANYONE would EVER think that someone (or a group of people) were meaning to turn poster against poster is horrific and crazy. It's as if everything we've done here was ignored. As if all of the obvious care and love we put into this place was completely forgotten in the face of one obviously odd instance.

Unbelievable.

Originally Posted by iSm

I find it completely believable that Scott would freak out about SacTown and go on a madness binge, and that Kevy would be an asshole of the 9th degree.

My short answer to this is, "So?"

Everyone on here knows that Scott has had problems in the past. We all saw his "freak out" a while ago on Fab. Since then he has done plenty of joking about it. Hello, "LickeyLumbo" came out of that! Kevy has a reputation for being a troublemaker - and he loves it. He does his best to cause mischief, and we all know that. Announcing to everyone that it's believable that Scott could freak out or that Kevy could be an asshole is a big deal? That's like accusing me of being long-winded. We all have our personas that we each know incredibly well.

You know, Greg really thought that you said that you were no longer friends with him. I said to him "I'll bet you anything he was pissed at the moment, but by the time we see him again, he'll pretend to attack you and call you a jerk with a grin on his face, then give you a hug and laugh about it." And that's EXACTLY what happened on Sunday. We all know each other well enough to call things for what they are.

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

Wait, they were just baffling, which I could understand, or you really thought I was planning to get married. If it's the latter, whoa. The married bit was what I thought would really convince people that it was all a big fat lie. ''

Is that you in the picture? If so, you are pretty and have pretty, bouncy perfect hair!

Well, I knew you would not leave, and most of it was so off from what I know of you here- but the married thing was baffling because I do not know you personally well enough to know if you were hiding a nugget of truth in the joke.

But I know more now....

Yes- that is me- thanks for the compliment!