OzBargain Is Cancelling Its April Fools' Jokes This Year

scotty on 01/04/2020 - 04:57

April Fools Day jokes have been a recurring event on OzBargain over the years. We had joked about being acquired, running a dating website, changing into Chinese or offering Premium membership. We have been drumming up ideas about what to do with this year's AFD jokes since late last year, and at one stage have even considered Spackbace's suggestion.

However with the current climate, I think it is best for us to cancel the event. There will not be OzBargain April Fools' Jokes in 2020. There are times that we can have a bit of fun with lighthearted jokes, but it's just not this year.

Coronavirus pandemic has severely changed everyone's life this year. Many of us are homebound these days, worrying about our relatives and friends, health, jobs, world economy, etc. It's actually the time to help each other than joke around. Do check the OzBargain Home Isolation Guide that hamza23 has compiled. Stay safe, and we're all in this together.

—scotty

Site Discussion April Fool's Day

Comments

  • RockyRaccoon on 01/04/2020 - 05:02
    +7

    Are you serious? šŸ™ƒ

    Btw whatā€™s with the grey shading on some posts like this

    • scotty on 01/04/2020 - 05:12
      +6

      We are consolidating shade colours on our sites (OzB, NZ & SG) to make creating dark theme easier.

      • ashdays on 01/04/2020 - 05:27
        +2

        NOoooo

        I was planning to stock up on jokes

        Now i guess I'll have to stock up something else!

        • Bryanalves on 01/04/2020 - 12:24

          Maybe the "no jokes on april fools" is the joke. And someone is in fact coming.

      • payton on 01/04/2020 - 08:17
        +6

        thats the joke this year amirite? Ozbargain preparing a dark theme for the site šŸ˜€

      • luffyex2010 on 01/04/2020 - 12:12

        IC,….thought me eyes was playing tricks on me when I saw them on my mobile this morning.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/04/2020 - 08:02
      +4

      I think the April Fool's cancellation is the joke for this year.

      Cancelception

  • kahn on 01/04/2020 - 06:06
    +24

    Is this announcement the joke?

  • aussieprepper on 01/04/2020 - 06:39

    Is this why Ozbargain was down a few hours ago? So you can get April fools ready for us?

    • scotty on 01/04/2020 - 06:54
      +11

      We got a DDoS at 1:21AM AEDT this morning, but that went away after a minute or 2. We also got one with our image servers last week that did 700Mbps sustained for more than 12 hours, so all the thumbnails are now behind CloudFlare.

      • 900dollaridoos on 01/04/2020 - 11:16
        +22

        WTF who is DDoSing a free online bargain site?? Harvey Norman?

        • franco cozzo on 01/04/2020 - 11:34
          +5

          …probably one of the mask/sanitiser resellers profiteering from this pandemic thats had theyre profit gouging ad removed from ozb….thatd be my guess

      • luffyex2010 on 01/04/2020 - 12:15

        Wow you guys even have enemies? how is that possible!

        • rompastompa on 01/04/2020 - 12:30
          +5

          Plenty ;)

          Many disgruntled vendors who do not offer a bargain.

      • [Deactivated] on 01/04/2020 - 14:55
        +3

        after a minute or 2.

        It felt like forever.

      • aussieprepper on 01/04/2020 - 18:54
        +3

        It was pay back from all the times we have done it to companies lol.

      • Michael15286 on 01/04/2020 - 22:20
        +1

        Thanks for dealing with all the problems we don't even see :)

  • AustriaBargain on 01/04/2020 - 06:50

    Blizzard added Googly eyes to the characters in Overwatch for April Fools, which I think is completely disrespectful to the families of the world dealing with the death of loved ones due to this virus.

  • onetwothreefour on 01/04/2020 - 06:54

    Downvote.

  • franco cozzo on 01/04/2020 - 06:59

    …fair call.

  • GangGang on 01/04/2020 - 07:18
    +12

    I would of thought in thr current climate that it would be even more of a reason to do one.

    • saintpotter on 01/04/2020 - 12:14

      The current climate is the biggest joke.

      • GangGang on 01/04/2020 - 14:49

        I still have hope that this whole post is a troll and I got fooled.

    • borrisz0r on 02/04/2020 - 12:20

      Couldn't agree more.

      The Australian culture is one of comradery and having a laugh, it helps us get through the tough times….

      Odd decision from my perspective, but hey with the PC world we live in now maybe this is the safer option?

  • Godric on 01/04/2020 - 07:19
    +6

    Is the joke that there is no joke, and some where on the site is a hidden joke?

    • Munki on 02/04/2020 - 11:55

      The joke is…Us.

  • pennypincher98 on 01/04/2020 - 07:37
    +1

    I thought the current UI change was the April Fools.
    This can't be permanent surely šŸ˜‚

  • iforgotmysocks on 01/04/2020 - 07:43
    +8

    The real joke is PJC's continued exile

    • kahn on 01/04/2020 - 08:06
      +8

      I predict that next year's April Fools joke will be to to unban pjc, mathnerd, watchnerd, scab, and tuzii…only for them to be re-banned the next day.

      • payton on 01/04/2020 - 08:10
        +4

        The one day when shitty store reps and dropshippers won't dare to post 'deals'

        • iforgotmysocks on 01/04/2020 - 08:23
          +3

          Especially without the price and store in the title.

          All posts will resemble shopfronts that were full from the time it was posted.

          • payton on 01/04/2020 - 08:39
            +3

            @iforgotmysocks: With specific bargains listed, how much is the discount from regular price (per item), vetting done on sellers ABN & contacts.

            and the sound of knives being sharpened when a listing reads:
            free item!! just pay shipping!

      • Godric on 01/04/2020 - 09:32

        Oo, That's why there has been a lack of watch deals, hadn't noticed they were banned

        • iforgotmysocks on 01/04/2020 - 13:49
          +1

          Are you perhaps suggesting OzBargain management has friends in Big Watch? Because I'm certainly not.

      • diazepam on 01/04/2020 - 15:48

        Why were they banned in the first place? I quite liked the watch posts

        • kahn on 01/04/2020 - 16:29
          +3

          We're not allowed to know the details of any bans. There was a discussion about the atrocities of December 2018 here.

          • Clear on 02/04/2020 - 11:28

            @kahn: You learn all the goss at OzBargain meetups ;)

  • payton on 01/04/2020 - 08:06
    +1

    Guess those wanting animated GIFs on the comments will wait another year or two

    • [Deactivated] on 02/04/2020 - 22:28

      Or apply to become a mod. I've seen Neil use gifs a couple of times.

  • NatoTomato on 01/04/2020 - 08:19

    Really? I thought the new orange on the site was the April Fools joke. Now I see it's getting it all ready for mobile.

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 01/04/2020 - 08:39
    +8

    In light of the global shi7storm we are in, having a bit of light hearted humour will go a long way to help all of us.

    Obviously no Covid19 jokes, guess most reasonable people would have expected that.

    • try2bhelpful on 01/04/2020 - 09:09
      +4

      This is my view as well. They can quarantine my body but my humour is free range. One of the bright spots is looking at funny memes and videos of how people are coping with the virus and quarantine. My laughing is not putting people at risk, but it is making me feel better. The cats jumping over increasing rows of toilet paper rolls to explain the various isolation stages is hilarious.

      However, bring on the hairshirt brigade who label everything as ā€œdisgustingā€ and probably think this is Godā€™s punishment for ā€œsomethingā€; funny how it is never a punishment for the fact that some members of society are self righteous bigots.

      I think I will start a forum page called ā€œLove in the Time of COVIDā€ so we can share the funniest of them.

      Keep yourselves safe, people, but donā€™t give in to fear. Otherwise we will all be wearing giant body condoms, we change several times a day, and hiding under our beds. Look at the statistics, even the oldest of us is more likely to survive this than not.

      Laughter may not be the best medicine, a vaccine would be a good start, but it, certainly, is a good way to brighten up a day shuttered inside.

      • brendanm on 01/04/2020 - 11:23
        +8

        What do you call someone who just crashed their car with no insurance?

        "Member since 1min ago"

      • tryagain on 03/04/2020 - 08:21

        I think the other side of the coin is that some people are loosing their loved ones, jobs etc (and many more will) I think think an non Rona related April fools Day would have been OK, but can see why they decided to tread cautiously.

        • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2020 - 11:46
          +1

          People lose their loved ones, all the time. I suspect people who lost their loved ones to Coronavirus arenā€™t trawling through the web looking for, random, sites to be offended at. Frankly, at the moment, the more things I can find that make me less afraid, and more normal, the better I feel. I donā€™t have an issue with closing down the April Fools joke stuff, mainly because most of it is pretty lame, but I would be a tad annoyed if they decided to shutdown the memes and videos.

          We need to be cautious, keep our distances and keep our hygiene up but trying to keep things as normal as possible is the best way for people to weather this; otherwise we are all going to go stir crazy. Humour is a great stress release, particularly if it is done cleverly and isnā€™t belittling others.

          The thing to keep in mind is the odds are we will survive this. The sky might be a tad fractured but it isnā€™t falling on all of us. We need to look to our mental health as well as our physical health.

    • Skramit on 01/04/2020 - 09:24
      +15

      having a bit of light hearted humour will go a long way to help all of us.

      A slice of apple pie is $2.50 in Jamaica and $3.00 in the Bahamas. These are the pie rates of the Caribbean.

  • Skramit on 01/04/2020 - 09:22

    So disappointed ;)

    But totally understand this approach.

  • Baysew on 01/04/2020 - 09:22
    +5

    Perhaps instead on cancelling it for the year, it should be postponed till 1st October. Similar to AFL and NRL.

    Many places have postponed their Christmas in July functions to late in December.

    • holdenmg on 01/04/2020 - 09:27
      +2

      Word is it is being postponed to July 23-August 8, 2021, but will still be referred to as April Fool's Day 2020.

      Oh, and we moved it to Tokyo…

  • holdenmg on 01/04/2020 - 09:23
    +3

    I don't think "we're all in this together" works anymore.

    We can all be in this together [in groups of <2, a suitable distance apart, wearing individual face masks, with BYO Hand Gel] or virtually "together" connected by via an NBN that is held together by a thread and powered by an angry drunk aging Hampster.

  • ronnknee on 01/04/2020 - 10:21

    Can we postpone it to like Halloween, if things get better by then?

    • payton on 01/04/2020 - 10:28
      +1

      let's not ruin the fun by setting the date, it can happen any day this year! Any one of the 273+ days remaining

      • ronnknee on 01/04/2020 - 10:35

        April Fools is a set date every year and it still catches people off guard LOL.

    • scotty on 01/04/2020 - 10:45

      I am afraid we might even need to cancel our November meetups if things haven't got better by then.

      • ronnknee on 01/04/2020 - 10:55

        :(

        • payton on 01/04/2020 - 13:39
          +1

          i can picture that one person in the meet-up would cough, and everyone runs in every direction

      • Clear on 02/04/2020 - 11:30

        Here's a solution. Just host us all in your living room.

  • spackbace on 01/04/2020 - 10:45
    -1

    Ā and at one stage have evenĀ considered Spackbace's suggestion

    I knew you would šŸ˜‰

    • [Deactivated] on 02/04/2020 - 22:31

      Wouldn't have worked with @highndry in the sin-bin and @zeggie busy eating the rich.

      Do we know why HND is in the sin-bin?

      • Baysew on 03/04/2020 - 13:55

        Because they have violated the Rules & Guidelines.

        • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2020 - 14:16

          I was hoping for some juicy goss but ok, I'll accept that answer :/

          • Baysew on 07/04/2020 - 20:56
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Juicy goss? - HND placed in protective custody as the descent into a Socialist Apocalypse means he will be most likely the first one up against the wall.

            • [Deactivated] on 07/04/2020 - 21:53

              @Baysew: Thank you for looking after him. Even I've heard their chants, "Let's be merry and eat the rich! Hahaha!"šŸ˜± They would have set upon HND like a pack of hungry wolves if not for you.

              • try2bhelpful on 08/04/2020 - 07:24
                +1

                @[Deactivated]: Funny how when it all goes to pot we all go to Socialism. It is OK, when this is all over we will go back to demonising the unemployed and complaining about people who are a ā€œburdenā€ to society.

                • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2020 - 22:13
                  +1

                  @try2bhelpful: Many people consider the things that the government do for them to be social progress but they regard the things that the government do for others as socialism. Nothing changed, really.

          • Baysew on 09/04/2020 - 16:08

            @[Deactivated]: Update - Diji1 also in penalty box. Could Diji1 and HND be actually the same person? Or is it a Zig and Zag Yin and Yang situation?

            • [Deactivated] on 09/04/2020 - 16:23

              @Baysew: Finally some hot goss to brighten my day :D

              But you mean, he's in 'protective custody', right? Sad but it is for his own good. Diji1 was never HND's nemesis. He was in a category all of his own.

              In a strange sort of way, I do admire both HND's and Diji1's passion and the hot blood coursing through their veins.I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've never been in the sin-bin. I'm a man of weak passions and moderate thoughts :/

  • Ozzie15 on 01/04/2020 - 11:06

    Good call.
    Although, I would have loved to share some laugh if there was some kind of April Fool post.
    It's been so depressing last few weeks.

    • franco cozzo on 01/04/2020 - 11:35

      ….you need to watch tiger king. you wont be depressed for at least 7 hours i guarantee you!
      https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cā€¦

      • Ozzie15 on 01/04/2020 - 11:42
        +1

        Yep, in my watchlist.
        Just finished watching Better Call Saul for the 2nd time and about to rewatch Breaking Bad for the 4th time.

        • franco cozzo on 01/04/2020 - 12:07

          tried to watch better call saul recently….had no idea what going on as i think i stopped after S02! :P
          …might have to go back to season 1 or 2 and start rewatching again. need some 'chunky' series to pass the time ;)

          • Ozzie15 on 02/04/2020 - 12:49

            @franco cozzo: Yes, it isn't as fast as some of the other series but still worth it.
            Watch BB after BCS and it adds a whole new different experience.
            Next up Mad Men and The Office

            Heard a lot about this Turkish series but haven't watched it yet
            Diriliş: Ertuğrul

  • Ghost47 on 01/04/2020 - 11:15
    +11

    I'd say if anything an April Fool's joke would have brightened up people's day if anything, unless it was of course a bad joke. People need humour now more than ever.

  • His_Holiness on 01/04/2020 - 12:19
    +12

    Bad call scotty
    It's times like these where normality and a bit of tomfoolerly is needed the most.

    • chrisie on 01/04/2020 - 12:23

      yes I agree ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦.

  • donga100 on 01/04/2020 - 13:43
    +4

    Wow! This Corona virus thing just got serious!

  • centrelink on 01/04/2020 - 14:28
    +1

    Imagine if they used the Chinese one this year. Jokes aside, April Fools is supposed to make us lose ourselves in the moment and forget about all the troubles in our lives for a split moment… and now we back to reality

  • ozdesi on 01/04/2020 - 17:30

    good call, stay safe everyone

  • Hirolol on 02/04/2020 - 08:59
    +1

    Thatā€™s such a shame it was cancelled.
    If anything there should have been even more reason, need to lift the spirits of some people in these times.

  • Okayy on 02/04/2020 - 11:39

    life must go on…

  • chumlee on 02/04/2020 - 22:34

    Thought the April Fools was going to be only allowing people with car insurance to post for the day

    • donga100 on 03/04/2020 - 18:25

      So shutting down the site? Or just banning new accounts?

  • eckers19 on 01/04/2021 - 12:45

    Will there be on this year?

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