# "I'm really a girl" (April 1st prank PM) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 1, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519 "2015-04-01T17:19:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/141 "2015-04-02T17:33:19Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > As I suggested – a suggestion that seems to have been swallowed by a bout of convenient amnesia – this is a facile assumption. My own post was unattributed by you, but contained internal wording that pointed at me. > > I’m not upset at it being made public, mind you. But I’m beginning to be upset at your carefree, continued claims that your absurd and careless conduct was somehow mitigated by a lack of attribution. It probably is no comfort to you, **Bricker** , as I am not necessarily the sharpest knife in the drawer, but unless one of the posts begins “What do you suppose the law states about lying about your gender? In _Whompus v. Kittywhacker_, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled…” I wouldn’t recognize your post. I only recognized one of the PMs listed, for reasons best left unexplored. (I think someone else recognized it too.) Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/142 "2015-04-02T17:35:34Z")
I certainly have no clue which one is Bricker’s either. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/143 "2015-04-02T17:41:24Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Seriously, would someone explain to me why this is funny? Because it was an April Fool’s prank. I don’t normally go in for stuff like that, but this was a good one and **Idle** got me with it; I completely forgot what day it was. I had a good chuckle at my own expense and moved on. ---
**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 2, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/144 "2015-04-02T17:41:54Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I can see someone receiving the PM and being in a delicate situation themself, and possibly opening up a little to IT. If that did happen (and maybe IT did not include their reply - points to you if that’s what you did), that person might be feeling a little humiliated right about now. It did…a few times; and those ones I not only did not include, but also messaged the people back to immediately say it was a joke and that I felt kind of bad now. > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > You’ve heard from a lot of people who do. It would be nice if you assured them it wasn’t going to happen again. > > My respect isn’t worth much if anything but you’ve pretty much lost it with your behavior in this situation. “I’m sorry if you were offended?” Nice. It’s not going to ever happen again. > [@Purd\_Werfect](#): > > Ah, I just answered you sincerely, having not seen this thread. Feel free to post my response and laugh. Nah, I won’t be posting any more after the last update. I did get a lot more replies after that (about 30 more, and I think I’ll probably be getting more here and there for the next few days, because that’s what happened in the Halloween case too). But I’m not going to post any more. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/145 "2015-04-02T17:45:32Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > But I’m not going to post any more. How will I know when I’m warned for posting a false, funny (to me) story? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/146 "2015-04-02T17:48:14Z")
This was stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/147 "2015-04-02T17:49:04Z")
A suggestion rather than a request, but you might consider removing the PMs even if un-attributed. Not just the ones whose senders object - that would be a little obvious. But all of them. Mods can do that, can they not? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/148 "2015-04-02T17:49:17Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > How will I know when I’m warned for posting a false, funny (to me) story? 😕 Since when is that against the rules? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/149 "2015-04-02T17:51:22Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Since when is that against the rules? Don’t make report you, ya big bully! ---
**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 2, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/150 "2015-04-02T17:52:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > As I suggested – a suggestion that seems to have been swallowed by a bout of convenient amnesia – this is a facile assumption. My own post was unattributed by you, but contained internal wording that pointed at me. > > I’m not upset at it being made public, mind you. But I’m beginning to be upset at your carefree, continued claims that your absurd and careless conduct was somehow mitigated by a lack of attribution. I hope you will take some slight comfort in the knowledge that no one seems to have much interrest in determining which response might be yours. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/151 "2015-04-02T17:54:23Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > A suggestion rather than a request, but you might consider removing the PMs even if un-attributed. Not just the ones whose senders object - that would be a little obvious. But all of them. Mods can do that, can they not? Why? What is an un-attributed PM but a sentence, phrase or saying that could have been said by anyone anywhere anytime? Why on earth should they be removed? Man! This issue has really shown me how over-the-top some people really are! OMG an april fool joke. Wow. Why is this funny? Why was Candid Camera funny? I personally never watched it because it made me uncomfortable to see people being embarrassed. But, other people thought it was funny and, as I may have mentioned, there were NO VICTIMS. No one got hurt. No one was fired, or burnt, or assassinated. Why on earth is this making people so hysterical? I really truly do not get it. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/152 "2015-04-02T18:04:40Z")
Can we still have sex? ---
**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 2, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/153 "2015-04-02T18:14:25Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Can we still have sex? Now _that_ is funny. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/154 "2015-04-02T18:57:49Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Why on earth is this making people so hysterical? I really truly do not get it. My thoughts exactly. I fell for it - big, fat, hairy deal. It was harmless, it cost me about 2 minutes to craft my answer (in which I demanded $50milliion for my silence) and life went on. I felt like a dummy for not remembering the day. On the other hand, IT had messaged me once before about something, so there was a certain logic to him/her confessing to me, sorta. Anyway, I’m shaking my head about everyone getting all worked up about it. Really?!?!?! ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/155 "2015-04-02T19:07:21Z")
Couple of things… 1.) I didn’t realize which one of those replies belonged to **Bricker** either. Hell, even now after all the hoopla, I still can’t be arsed to go back and try and figure it out. I just don’t care. Not to mention, any of the responses that were longer than a paragraph or two pretty much had me skimming past them, so on the whole, I think your safe. Unless you’d like to keep putting the Streisand effect into place that is. 2.) I don’t care if you leave my answer to you up. Shoot, you could even attribute it to me at this point and it would be totally cool. So, man, do what you must, but I still think that this teapot is so small that this manufactured tempest won’t fit. 3.) I has a sad that you won’t be doing any more pranks. I’m just glad I made the cut on this one though. ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/156 "2015-04-02T19:12:31Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Here’s mine: > > I was genuinely happy to have alleviated some of IT’s guilt when I said that. “Someone might have opened up to you a bit more and I hope you using judgement on not posting those ones. If you did, kudos to you”…that happened quite a few times, with others and with you. So you don’t have to, obviously, but if you could maybe post a reply to that one giving confirmation that I did do it at least once? I could say it myself, but not sure many would believe me at this point, haha." I fell for the prank at a personal level and revealed some VERY personal stuff to IT, but in hindsight, it was not a big deal overall. IT and I have PM’d a couple times since and I’ve received some serious compassionate/understanding responses and its all cool, afaik. NO ONE is perfect, and quite often intentions are not what they seem at first reading/exposure to what was written/sent. Idle Thoughts is cool with me, and I say that as a person who has made some serious mistakes but accepted them and kept my head high. Being human has its drawbacks at times. Ain’t nobody here that can say they have never misjudged intent, I am quite sure 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/157 "2015-04-02T19:18:41Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Why? What is an un-attributed PM but a sentence, phrase or saying that could have been said by anyone anywhere anytime? Why on earth should they be removed? Because **Bricker** didn’t like it, and he apparently thinks I have more of a clue than I do and could figure out which one was his. I can’t, but out of respect for him and other posters, why not? The only one I could figure out was the one **Ambivalid** posted. That one obviously came from an insensitive jerk loser who is lamely trying to cover up and should be ashamed of himself. Regards, Shodan PS - or herself. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/158 "2015-04-02T19:56:16Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I hope you will take some slight comfort in the knowledge that no one seems to have much interrest in determining which response might be yours. Not particularly, since I’ve already said I don’t have any particular concern with what I said being attributed to me. But I think you’re right: no one has any interest in working it out. If there were a $1000 prize for figuring out which post was mine, I bet people would manage it. So my point is: for **Idle Thoughts** to so glibly assert the anonymity of his correspondents when h posts their words is foolsih, because it relies upon indifference and not actual anonymity. “Security by obscurity,” as the IT folks like to say. ---
**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 2, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/159 "2015-04-02T20:01:52Z")
The Idle Thoughts folks? Now that was lame. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519/160 "2015-04-02T20:04:55Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Not particularly, since I’ve already said I don’t have any particular concern with what I said being attributed to me. > > But I think you’re right: no one has any interest in working it out. I didn’t before, but since you keep bringing it up, now I feel obligated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-really-a-girl-april-1st-prank-pm/716519.md?page=9)