Most generations have some kind of momentus event where they can vividly recall where they were and what they were doing at that moment.
Some people can tell you where they were when MAN WALKED ON FUCKING MOON!
Others can tell you what they were doing when Challenger exploded.
Some day in the future, I'll be able to sit down with my grandchildren and tell them where I was during the Great E2 April Fools Prank.
*screen wobbles in a twilight zone manner*
Scene opens on an old man sitting by a log fire, dressed in a smoking jacket, holding a large leather book PDA. A few children are sat around his chair.
Child: Grandpa, tell us a story! Tell us a story about trains!
Old man: I'll do one better, I'll tell you a story about a mongloid invasion. It's got good people, powerless to stop the onslaught. It's got a monster and trolls, out of control, eating people willy-nilly.
Children: Tell us tell us!
Old man: I can remember exactly what I was doing at the moment I found out about the invasion. I was sitting at my computer, I had logged onto E2 and my spidey-sense was telling me that something was not right. Then I saw them, TROLLS!
Children: *Gasps!*
Old man: They were everywhere. The catbox was infested, the EDB was on some ravenous crusade. I tried to lose them in the nodegel, but everywhere I turned I saw gibberish and l337 sp34k. It was like some hellish landscape with no way out.
Child: What did you do grandpa?
Old man: Well, there wasn't much any of us could do, the sane ones stuck together. Prayed to the gods to save us, but it seemed like the Gods themselves were powerless!
Eventually I think I must have blacked out, when I came to the trolls were gone, but the mess. My God, the mess.
*screen wobbles some more*
So, maybe it was all a prank, a very unfunny prank if so. Things get distorted over time, and in a few months who'll even remember the exact details. It makes for a good story though.
Suggestions for E2 April Fools Pranks
I would like to add that although I'm sure by some people's standards, this is an average node, I'm very happy with it.
That's why I'm slightly anxious about adding this afternote.(The downvotes are sure to follow).
As you can see above, I'm OK with the prank. What I'm not OK with is the attitudes of many people now that this is all over.
I find the "hahaha! we fooled you! it was funny. now keep quiet and if you don't like it, go do something else" attitude very unhelpful. Like it or not, this has had a huge impact, trying to sweep it under the rug isn't good enough. I was very disappointed to see some users' writeups being nuked, and people being borged, just because they had 'dared' to be offended.
I would like to thank WickerNipple, N-Wing, Demeter and discofever for at least hearing what we had to say, even if we were bundled into another room out of sight, out of mind.
/me disapproved of April Trolls