Friday, April 1, 2005
Today Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone with access to the Internet can edit, was the victim of an onslaught of practical jokes, as April Fool’s Day kicked in various timezones around the world, at least those parts which follow the Gregorian calendar. It is believed that Wikipedia contributors were kept busy tidying up and removing prank articles and changes made by other Wikipedia contributors, and were expecting to be cleaning up the aftermath for days afterwards.
The most highly visible prank was the 2005 Britannica takeover of Wikimedia encyclopaedia article. Other pranks included:
Most edits which were judged (rightly or wrongly) as April Fool’s Day pranks were quickly undone, although tacit community consensus left several to stand throughout the whole period of April Fool’s Day. Being accessible worldwide (by people who can afford Internet access) in all timezones, April Fool’s Day lasts for more than 24 hours at Wikipedia. The change to the deletion notice was undone within 31 minutes, for example, despite the notice being altered at 05:08 UTC, night-time in Europe and the United States.
Several Wikipedia contributors have expressed their dismay at the amount of work being generated, though these views may or may not be indicitive of the contributor base at large:
Other Wikipedians have shown dismay at how quickly the April Fools gags are undone: