Customers encouraged to upgrade to “NTFS Tuesday” by April 1, 2019
REDMOND, Wash. — Mar 05, 2019 — Microsoft Corp. announced on Tuesday March 5th, 2019 that it will end support for FAT Tuesday on April 1st, 2019. Customers are asked to upgrade existing systems to NTFS Tuesday on or before this date in order to maintain support updates. This announcement comes after continuous technical pressure to retire the venerable old system in favor of a more robust modern product.Product manager Marty Gross said, “I know a lot of people don’t even think about this stuff because it’s infrastructure, but Microsoft wants to ensure a product future that your entire IT krewe can rely on.”
What sort of improvements can you expect with NTFS Tuesday? According to Gross, “A more robust and reliable user experience. Compared to FAT Tuesday it’ll be a parade.”
Yes, I decided to write up an April Fool’s Joke in March. This is actually an article about whether or not April Fool’s Jokes (AFJs) should continue to be part of the IT tradition. Despite having executed many such jokes (of varying quality) over my life, I suspect we’re on a downward trend in their popularity within the computer world.
AFJs are such a big part of the history of computing that it is probably worth reminding everyone of their cultural significance. It is possible that the close ties of computer history to the historical pranking culture of both MIT and CalTech could be part of that relationship. Perhaps no company is better known for its close ties to practical jokes than Google. They are so innovative and have worked so hard to create a culture that embraces whimsy that it’s become a tradition to check and see what Google’s April 1st prank will be this year. There have been some good ones. While concepts such as building data-centers on Mars or creating keyboards out of bubble wrap seem ridiculous, it’s tricky to tell when the stories are coming out of a company that has tried to build WiFi networks out of balloons and has brought self-driving cars out of Sci-Fi and onto local highways.
It’s difficult to compete with Google in the area of practical jokes. (Or in search, for that matter. Sorry, Bing!) For one thing, even if you have a terrific idea for a practical joke it’s hard to get it to reach a large audience. Google doesn’t have that problem. Also, it’s common now for multiple large corporations to create jokes around April 1st and this has the strange effect of making the date seem like it’s “sold out.” Corporate humor is tough because there is so much complexity around the messaging. Why are you creating a prank? What’s the point of it?
So, here are a few suggestions if you think your company should be participating in the April Fool’s Day tradition.
- Don’t be cruel. There’s a rule in comedy that says “don’t punch down.” You might be able to get away with throwing a pie at someone if you’re a college student, but if you’re running a pie shop this is not a good idea.
- Work within your bailiwick. Part of the fun of a good AFJ is to make it just plausible enough that people pause to wonder if it is real. A few years ago my previous employer set up an “email Recycling Program.” As an office supply company the joke was just plausible enough to convince some people to try it out. We encouraged people to send us their junk mail so we could recycle it. People who participated got a nice “it was a joke” email, with a coupon code for our site.
- Think it through carefully. Is your joke going to backfire? Is it going to cause more harm than good? If there is a big risk of harm, maybe just put that one back into the “idea box” and try again.
- Don’t copy The Office. A lot of times jokes on TV shows are very funny precisely because they are not happening to anyone in real life. This caliber of joke can be amusing but eventually, someone has to clean up all the balloons or get the desk back down from the ceiling or reassemble the cubicle walls.
- Don’t prank my wife. Trust me on this.
I hope the harmless pranks around April 1st continue, but I do wonder if that will be possible as tech companies develop more cultural gravitas as they age. Will anyone want a whimsical Google prank when a self-driving car is involved? Or their phone? As we increasingly rely on these companies for more and more essential services, it is possible that whimsy will be the first ethos to be chucked out the window.
In the meantime don’t forget to upgrade your FAT Tuesday to NTFS Tuesday before it’s too late.
