# Idle Thoughts **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 1, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512 "2015-04-01T16:36:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/81 "2015-04-01T18:59:31Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > This thread, man. 🆒 Exactly. It’s like people are going out of their way to be upset. The message itself was kinda lame (sorry, **Idle Thoughts** ), but the end result is comic gold. “Don’t contact me again, for any reason,” “I await a formal apology to the board,” etc. Were these people so emotionally invested in an unsolicited PM from a Mod, where the subject / reason for contacting them was dubious at best, that they won’t ever be able to trust anyone, ever again? If it was a long and drawn out exchange, then, yeah, maybe I could see a violation of trust, but this was a single message, and the joke was “revealed” less than 6 hours later. Hardly enough time to get emotionally invested in the saga. If anything, I want to thank **Idle Thoughts** , because now I know how to handle certain Dopers - which ones are hypersensitive, which ones can take a joke, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/82 "2015-04-01T19:06:54Z")
Heh. I saw the pm and saw a thread here…read this one first. You silly silly mod. ;). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/83 "2015-04-01T19:10:38Z")
> [@Calatin](#): > > Exactly. It’s like people are going out of their way to be upset. The message itself was kinda lame (sorry, **Idle Thoughts** ), but the end result is comic gold. > > “Don’t contact me again, for any reason,” “I await a formal apology to the board,” etc. > > Were these people so emotionally invested in an unsolicited PM from a Mod, where the subject / reason for contacting them was dubious at best, that they won’t ever be able to trust anyone, ever again? If it was a long and drawn out exchange, then, yeah, maybe I could see a violation of trust, but this was a single message, and the joke was “revealed” less than 6 hours later. Hardly enough time to get emotionally invested in the saga. This 100%. The message itself was a bit of a head-scratcher, but some of the ensuing gasps and vitriol that it inspired make it-- well, not quite Kaufmanesque, but still pretty awesome. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/84 "2015-04-01T19:14:41Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Whoa! You, too? I know, right! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/85 "2015-04-01T19:18:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I await a formal apology to all members here. Protip: take the occasional breath while you’re waiting. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/86 "2015-04-01T19:19:24Z")
> [@D18](#): > > I know, right! 😉 Are… Are you being serious? Cuz if you aren’t, I really don’t know how I can ever trust another soul again. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/87 "2015-04-01T19:20:45Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Remember when you were in school, didn’t really have a group of friends, and one of the cool kids would pretend to like you, then say, “Ha! Loser!”? That was always good for some yuks. Did you really just call **Idle Thoughts** one of the cool kids? Now that’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/88 "2015-04-01T19:22:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I await a formal apology to all members here. I’m still waiting for flying cars, hoverboards, self-lacing Nikes and Mr. Fusion. We were promised those by 2015, and it’s 2015 now, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/89 "2015-04-01T19:23:33Z")
Wasn’t it April 1st about 8 or so years ago that pretty much _all_ the rules were suspended for a day? People goin’ crazy then for sure. That was the first time I ever was fooled into clicking on a link of goatse. I’d much prefer getting PM’d to BM’d. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/90 "2015-04-01T19:28:26Z")
I didn’t get one. ☹ (Heh) > [@LSLGuy](#): > > All these, but mostly **Chefguy**. > > My attitude to April Fools was already on record here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18252800&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18252800&postcount=10) > > Color me pissed off. I will also not find it humorous if my sincere & sympathetic PM ends up re-posted but half-assed de-identified in some thread. > > It’s jerk moves like this that cause charitable folks like me to give up on humanity in general rather than specific humans specifically. Making trust into a vice takes work; quit working on it. > > I await a formal apology to all members here. [Seriously?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKDeiMD9a7w) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/91 "2015-04-01T19:28:37Z")
Huh. I went away for a bit to get some lunch and when I come back, I find this thread has exploded. First of all and most importantly, I apologize sincerely to anyone who I might have pissed off. That wasn’t my intent. I’m very sorry to anyone who didn’t like it. That being said, I also have to agree that it wasn’t the greatest idea in the world. As far as pranks go, it was pretty lame, yeah. I just didn’t put a lot of thought into it. I admit those who said the best pranks are ones that make the person laugh instead of feeling misled. Lastly, I just wanted to say that none of this had anything to do with my capacity as a moderator. It was totally free and clear, unconnected from the fact that I am one. It’s something I’ve have done as well, even if I wasn’t a mod (although I do have to admit that being able to PM at least 300 people without having a PM flood control was nice). So basically, it was totally done as me, the poster…although whether anyone agrees/disagrees that someone who is also a mod shouldn’t be doing things like that is probably a whole other discussion. I’ve got at least 45 PMs I haven’t read yet since I’ve been having lunch. The first few [were posted here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753253), and I plan to update it with all the PMs I’ve gotten since, although if you don’t want your reply in it, just let me know in PM (or in here works too). I obviously won’t include anyone (by default) who has posted in here who is (or seems) upset. Again, I apologize to those of you who didn’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/92 "2015-04-01T19:33:27Z")
> [@Calatin](#): > > Exactly. It’s like people are going out of their way to be upset. The message itself was kinda lame (sorry, **Idle Thoughts** ), but the end result is comic gold. > > “Don’t contact me again, for any reason,” “I await a formal apology to the board,” etc. > > Were these people so emotionally invested in an unsolicited PM from a Mod, where the subject / reason for contacting them was dubious at best, that they won’t ever be able to trust anyone, ever again? If it was a long and drawn out exchange, then, yeah, maybe I could see a violation of trust, but this was a single message, and the joke was “revealed” less than 6 hours later. Hardly enough time to get emotionally invested in the saga. > > If anything, I want to thank **Idle Thoughts** , because now I know how to handle certain Dopers - which ones are hypersensitive, which ones can take a joke, etc. Quoted for truth. Seriously? In the other thread, there’s someone whining that it was a huge violation of trust or some such. Geezus. Get over yourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/93 "2015-04-01T19:33:42Z")
I fell for it and posted a brief compassionate response, although I had a bit of doubt since I have seen a picture of IT, although, who knows what’s true on the internet? I’m glad I erased the part stating my unrequiting love for her and the picture of my schlong. It was a good joke. I laughed when I realized I’d been had. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/94 "2015-04-01T19:37:02Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Remember when you were in school, didn’t really have a group of friends, and one of the cool kids would pretend to like you, then say, “Ha! Loser!”? That was always good for some yuks. No. Sorry, I actually had friends. > [@cochrane](#): > > I’m still waiting for flying cars, hoverboards, self-lacing Nikes and Mr. Fusion. We were promised those by 2015, and it’s 2015 now, dammit. 2015 is over yet. > **[Self-lacing 'Back to the Future' shoes still due this year, says Nike designer](https://www.cnet.com/culture/power-lacing-back-to-the-future-shoes-still-due-in-2015-says-nike-designer/)** > > Nike designer Tinker Hatfield says the shoe giant still expects to deliver Nike Mag shoes with "power laces" before the year is out. > [@Leaffan](#): > > the picture of my schlong. This is why I am upset. I did not get a PM and I have not been having much luck with online dating so I haven’t had much chance lately to send out pics of Mr. Winky and now I missed out on another chance. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/95 "2015-04-01T19:41:08Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Wasn’t it April 1st about 8 or so years ago that pretty much _all_ the rules were suspended for a day? People goin’ crazy then for sure. That was the first time I ever was fooled into clicking on a link of goatse. I’d much prefer getting PM’d to BM’d. I don’t think that was an April Fool’s thing - I think it was a server or software upgrade that meant we were going to lose a day or two’s worth of posts, so for those two days people could do whatever, since it was all going to be erased anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/96 "2015-04-01T19:43:48Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Protip: take the occasional breath while you’re waiting. Remember to wear a tie. It’s formal. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/97 "2015-04-01T19:44:38Z")
I never received a PM. I’ve been a member of this Board for 16 freakin’ years, I have more than 18,000 posts and no one thought to even include me in their April Fool’s Day prank??? I’m the one who deserves an apology dammit! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/98 "2015-04-01T19:47:57Z")
Idle Thoughts and some other posters reminds me of people I was unfortunate enough to attend elementary school with. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/99 "2015-04-01T19:48:07Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Huh. I went away for a bit to get some lunch and when I come back, I find this thread has exploded. Wait a second, you went out to lunch? With who? For some reason I’m a little jealous now. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512/100 "2015-04-01T19:49:21Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > That being said, I also have to agree that it wasn’t the greatest idea in the world. As far as pranks go, it was pretty lame, yeah. I just didn’t put a lot of thought into it. I admit those who said the best pranks are ones that make the person laugh instead of feeling misled. FWIW, I totally fell for it, responded seriously and my response was quoted in the other thread, and I laughed. Some don’t seem to understand the concept of April Fools day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts/716512.md?page=6)