It’s Over: Google Has Already Won April Fools Day 2011
It’s not even April 1st in Mountain View, but the April Fools Day comedy game is already over and I’m declaring Google the winner. Hiring autocompleters? YouTube 1911? Gmail Motion? Chromercise? Ding, ding, ding and ding. Game over. If you’re planning any big pranks tomorrow, skip it. Below, what’s out there now — and a […]
It’s not even April 1st in Mountain View, but the April Fools Day comedy game is already over and I’m declaring Google the winner. Hiring autocompleters? YouTube 1911? Gmail Motion? Chromercise? Ding, ding, ding and ding. Game over. If you’re planning any big pranks tomorrow, skip it. Below, what’s out there now — and a running update of what else gets discovered as April Fools Day pranks related to search.
Google Hiring Autocompleters
If you search with Google Instant turned on, you’ll see a new link at the bottom of the search suggestions. Google is hiring Autocompleters.
That link leads to a job description with this video introducing “Michael Taylor,” who started out as a spellchecker who typed the “Did you mean?” suggestions and then got a promotion to Autocompleter.
Gmail Motion
Even better is the video for Gmail Motion, a link that shows up on the Gmail login page.
Chromercise
Then there’s the Richard Simmons-esque video for Chromercise, an exercise program that helps your fingers keep up with Chrome’s speed. And yes, there’s a form to “order” a set of those dorky finger sweatbands. (I have no idea if the form is real; probably not, but I did give my name and address. In the name of journalism, of course. The things I do for our readers.)
YouTube 1911
YouTube pretending to be 100 years old with a guest blog post from President Taft and a recap of the Top 5 Viral Videos of 1911.
Google Goes Comic Sans
Google “announces” that it will shift to the Comic Sans font across all web properties on April 4th — and for searches on “Comic Sans” and “Helvetica,” it actually happens. See our separate article: For April Fools, Google Goes Comic Sans & Ousts Helvetica.
“Old School” AdWords Formats
Announced are “new” old-school display ad formats like “Punch the monkey” and “Click here for smileys.”
Google UK’s “Translate For Animals”
Some are noticing that Google UK got its April Fool’s mojo on with Google Translate for Animals, an Android app (not really, duh) that tells you what your pets/animals said in human language. That’s actually from last year.
Flickr Logo with an E:
CuttsCon Is Back!
The celebration of AllThingsMatt returns for a a second show:
Details over here.
Google China Teleport Search
Details over here.
Earkut (Orkut)
Details over here.
Google Voice-alyzer
Pink Elephant & Yellow Whale on Google Maps
Details here and here. Official details over here.
Google Docs Motion Commands
Details over here.
Google Help Rolling Heads
Details over here.
Google Body Browser: Now A Cow
Details over here.
Google Blimp Ads
Details over here.
Google Bambo Update
Details over here.
Foursquare No Points For You
Search Engine Roundtable Now Search Engine Land
Details over here.
Matt Cutts working as Ask Jeeves
Details over here.
Chrome Lite
Details over here.
Wolfram Alpha As Bieber Alpha
Details over here.
The Search Specialists Movie
Details over here.
LinkedIn People You May Know
Google Pig Latin Voice Search
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg7Wayo1rLU[/youtube]
Details over here.
Google Meow Me Now (find missing kittens)
Details over here.
Google Analytics Gift Cards
Details over here.
Google I/O Conference Agenda
Even the upcoming Google I/O Conference is in on the fun, posting a joke agenda with sessions about HTML 3, building server farms with legos and more.
Google Bans Google Places
From TechCrunch, a funny send-up on how Google is banning its own Google Places pages as content farm spam: Google Inadvertently Classifies Google Places As A “Content Farm” And Removes From Search Index, plus a follow-up post: Richard Rosenblatt: Seriously, Leave My Yacht Out Of This. There’s also a solution to that yacht problem: How To Leave Your Yacht Out Of A TechCrunch Story.
More April Fools!
Looking for more pranks? See our other breakout posts on April Fools pranks from this year and our posts from past years:
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