Taste the rainbow!

Listen carefully: this can be the sign of a serious problem with your computer. It tends to occur around this time of year. I would recommend that you backup your data as quickly as possible and do a full hard drive format and OS reinstall. Email's in profile if you need some help being walked through it.
posted by Dasein at 9:04 AM on April 1

I'm blaming Obama.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 9:04 AM on April 1

Have you tried running a huge magnet over everything?
posted by Navelgazer at 9:05 AM on April 1 [11 favorites]

Well I've had blue, light blue, sort of pale blue, grey, light grey and sort of reddish grey. Not exactly I can sing a rainbow, but have a hug anyway
posted by criticalbill at 9:05 AM on April 1

Also check your Ethernet cable for an RGB leak.
posted by milkrate at 9:05 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]

Confirmation bias.
posted by danb at 9:06 AM on April 1 [19 favorites]

You're having vision problems and you're asking a bunch of strangers on the Internet?

GO SEE A DOCTOR!
posted by donpardo at 9:06 AM on April 1

That's the Hawaii rainbow worm and, sad to say, your machine is totally fucked.
posted by dawson at 9:07 AM on April 1

Please consult a physician before beginning any aggressive new regimen of tech support. If not for your sake, than for that of your unborn child.
posted by cortex at 9:07 AM on April 1

Check to see that the date and time are correct on your computer.
posted by Daddy-O at 9:07 AM on April 1 [22 favorites]

It's because of your username.
posted by smackfu at 9:07 AM on April 1

"Once again plain theme users are discriminated against."

Wrong. It could be your browser isn't compatable. I use plain theme and it's working fine.
posted by Ragma at 9:08 AM on April 1

Especially the date.
posted by Daddy-O at 9:08 AM on April 1

Nth for "major hardware failure."
posted by pineapple at 9:08 AM on April 1

Try shaking your monitor. I found that the blue was pooling up at the bottom on mine.
posted by dws at 9:08 AM on April 1 [14 favorites]

It's probably just Anti-Proton Radio-Isotope Latency First Order Operations Lag Syndrome. You get it with the higher-end video cards.
posted by The Bellman at 9:11 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]

Especially the date.

Gotcha. *hits head*
posted by sixcolors at 9:11 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]

I'm sure you will FIND a way to MAKE IT STOP.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:11 AM on April 1

Did you eat that thing in the fridge we told you not to eat? I knew it!
posted by jessamyn at 9:12 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]

I can sing a rainbow too!
posted by h00py at 9:13 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

I turned the colors off and now I'm seeing unicorns in the header.
posted by Wolfdog at 9:16 AM on April 1

I was noticing something similar in that the green on the front page of AskMe seemed to be lighter than the green of the answer pages for any of the posted questions. On Firefox 2.01.1.3 Windows XP Pro. And the page I'm currently typing this into is a very weird puce.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:17 AM on April 1

Huh.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:18 AM on April 1

I think it's just a ploy by mathowie to inflate pageloads.
posted by chimaera at 9:19 AM on April 1

April Fool's Day?
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:20 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

My jauns is all white, like always. Mad professional and shit.
posted by Mister_A at 9:22 AM on April 1

DTMFA
posted by idiomatika at 9:27 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

You're the guy from the Hamburger Train, right?
posted by Eideteker at 9:27 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

Just press ALT+F4 to reset the colors
posted by burnmp3s at 9:28 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]

Shake hands with beef.

note: Everyone needs some drugs.
posted by Eideteker at 9:28 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]

IANAL, but RTFM.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 9:29 AM on April 1

I tried reading this thread on my iphone and it started shifting and it freaked me out for a bit.
posted by mathowie at 9:29 AM on April 1

I've seen it too. Is it some April Foolin'?
posted by Kloryne at 9:30 AM on April 1

Your computer just wants attention. Skritch that part just behind its ears, where its neck meets its head. It'll calm down, and then it will tell you where the treasure is buried.
posted by Greg Nog at 9:31 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]

using the plain theme, i notice no color alteration. but some fool let the air out of my tire last night.
posted by quonsar at 9:37 AM on April 1

I can't even see the changes :( osx, firefox with ad block.
posted by By The Grace of God at 9:37 AM on April 1

Metafilter is changing, and not for the better.
posted by Dave Faris at 9:38 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

Actually, quonsar, I let the vacuum in.
posted by Eideteker at 9:40 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]

It's incredible how disturbing it is to have the colors change. I spent a good 5 minutes thinking I was going insane.
posted by betterton at 9:40 AM on April 1

Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute! Look, the people out there in the audience - the lady there with the long ears. They're getting longer all the time. And the guy back there in the seventeenth row with the cute tomato - he's gettin' all fuzzy. Yeah, they've got it. Everybody out there's got rabbititus¹!

^1. Skip to 7:25
posted by theiconoclast31 at 9:41 AM on April 1

Never mind, it's working now - just have to let a page hang out for a while. Pretty cool!
posted by By The Grace of God at 9:42 AM on April 1

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I haven't been seeing different colors, just lighter versions of the regular colors, but it's very weird. The color seems to get lighter and lighter the longer the page stays open. If it's an April Fools joke, it's cute and very subtle :)
posted by amyms at 9:48 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

Did you eat that thing in the fridge we told you not to eat? I knew it!

What, that sandwich? The one with the purple-white mushrooms, the moldy rye bread and the morning glory-seed dressing?

I don't know what you're talking about. It was fucking delicious OH SHIT ED BEGLEY IS BACK AND HE'S TRYING TO SELL ME A FRACTAL TOASTER OH I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT THAT BREAD FROM WOODY I COULD SEE TIME AND SPACE WARPED all AROUND IT ALREADY LIKE A BAD EVIL COMBOVER ON...

...woah, did you see that shit? What the fuck was that? Some kind of robotic gnome carrying off bits of my kitchen? I think I need to go lie down or something. I can taste your damn shirt from here. What the fuck kind of color is that, anyway? Tastes like blue rasberry koolaid without the sugar mixed in. Guh.
posted by loquacious at 9:49 AM on April 1 [4 favorites]

This text is the same color as the background now!!! HA HA! You can't see it!!!! You'll all be sorry when I take over this place!!
posted by inigo2 at 9:49 AM on April 1

Oh. Oh crap.
Just, uh, kidding.
posted by inigo2 at 9:49 AM on April 1

A few years ago, on the morning of a giant deadline, my trusty 21" CRT started to flake out on me, shifting colors back and forth and making it impossible for me to continue working on my illustration (due in 5 hours!). So I scampered to the store, made a painfullyexpensiveandcompletelyunresearched purchase of a big LCD monitor in order to finish my work.

This morning, I once again have a massive deadline, I totally thought it was happening again and also, the warranty on the painfullyexpensiveandcompletelyunresearched LCD ended last month.

Damn you, Matt.
posted by jamaro at 9:50 AM on April 1

I noticed this too. Must be a virus because both my keyboard andf myu ranjub g;l7 s,sFZs ajKpo ~i+[D\ > 8H1_ q9) ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:52 AM on April 1

These Premises Are Alarmed wrote: Once again plain theme users are discriminated against.

Damn affirmative action - the coloured folks get all the perks.
posted by jack_mo at 9:53 AM on April 1

Oh bugger. Google will now think I'm an actual mad racist now, won't it?
posted by jack_mo at 9:54 AM on April 1

Well done, i must have refreshed several times before the forehead smack of realization...

I was inspired to find this, because why not feed your head?
posted by schyler523 at 9:59 AM on April 1

plain theme just keeps getting darker & darker & darker...at first I wasn't sure.... I really need to change to full color, just to see the wacky colors!
posted by epersonae at 9:59 AM on April 1

I can sing a rainbow too!

So can he.
posted by ericb at 10:00 AM on April 1

Oh.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:01 AM on April 1

Actually, I quite like how slow the change is. Several times today, I kept reading a thread until it was virtually illegible before I realized how hard it was to read and then reloaded.
posted by chimaera at 10:01 AM on April 1

Ohhhh

*reminds self to read MetaTalk threads in chronological order*
posted by amyms at 10:03 AM on April 1

Metafilter is changing, and not for the better.

Because of colors? There goes the neighborhood, I guess.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:05 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]

This should be the punishment for people who make wendell and popcorn jokes. One month of slippery colors.
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:06 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

My favourite is the grey that gradually gets brighter and brighter. It feels like my monitor is gonna asplode.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:11 AM on April 1

This will popcorn.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:12 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]

I'm blaming Obama.

I can't believe he picked today to drop out of the race.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:17 AM on April 1 [4 favorites]

Metafilter is changing, and not for the better.

Oh, you April Fooler, you.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:19 AM on April 1

I simply assumed it was glaucoma and have been smoking marihuana to offset the effect.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:19 AM on April 1 [4 favorites]

DUDE MY SCREEN'S BEEN ALL FUCKED UP EVER SINCE LEMMY DIED LAST NIGHT.
posted by The Straightener at 10:24 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

My monitor is fine, but my eyes have changed color. Advize pleaze?
posted by vronsky at 10:29 AM on April 1

Disconnect your monitor cable on both ends and swing it around above your head to straighten it out. Kinks in the cable can slow down the bits, and the 1s get caught and block things up.
posted by Skorgu at 10:30 AM on April 1

It's cute, but it's also challenging for those of us with any visual impairment. Having to reload the page to read it is actually kinda annoying. At least I know it's not just me.

/buzzkill
posted by canine epigram at 10:43 AM on April 1

Your computer just wants attention. Skritch that part just behind its ears, where its neck meets its head. It'll calm down, and then it will tell you where the treasure is buried.
If that doesn't work, skritch me behind the ears. It won't fix your monitor, but oooooh! whrrr.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:53 AM on April 1

This probably means the video chipset on your computer is succumbing to heat overload, which could mean complete motherboard failure as soon as this evening.

However, if you forward this complaint to ten other community weblogs before sundown, you will find true love!
posted by arto at 10:57 AM on April 1

Graituitous Tom Cruise metareference:

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:03 AM on April 1

That pastel lime greenish one is sooooo dusted.
posted by The Straightener at 11:06 AM on April 1

Haha.. Last night I accidentally spilled a bit of diet coke on my Macbook. After panicking and dabbing up the mess, I went to bed only to wake up and realize that my open window to MetaFilter was significantly lighter in color. Panic mode started. Until I read this thread. I just got off the Apple line after explaining the prank. The guy laughed and said, "Clever one, mathowie. One of my favorite sites." Kind of bizarre..
posted by fiasco at 11:16 AM on April 1 [5 favorites]

I'm blaming Obama.

I can't believe he picked today to drop out of the race.

The man just found out he has cancer of the balls. Leave him be.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 11:22 AM on April 1

perhaps you met a man named Roy G. Biv?
posted by [son] QUAALUDE at 11:29 AM on April 1

I think all your flanlets are disconfoundulated. Better call a rep to see if they can run a deslockifying matrix enhancer subroutine on it. It's either that, or your witchett is fried to the point of drell.
posted by not_on_display at 11:47 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]

I tried reading this thread on my iphone and it started shifting and it freaked me out for a bit.

Hoist by your own petard, or Instant Karma's already got you.
posted by eriko at 11:57 AM on April 1

I'm digging on some of these colors actually. Can we make color schemes a feature?
posted by zorro astor at 11:57 AM on April 1

I find the purple ask-mefi easier to read, because of the higher contrast. The salmon Metatalk, however is worse.
posted by !Jim at 11:58 AM on April 1

These colors are exceptional! Where were they this AM? (I mean, AM C.E.T. (central european time.))

This is the finest pony ever.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:17 PM on April 1

Bastards, you totally got me. Egg, meet face.

Fiasco, that is awesome.
posted by churl at 12:24 PM on April 1

Damn this is tripping me out.
posted by chunking express at 12:25 PM on April 1

Purple AskMe rocks.
posted by ClanvidHorse at 12:35 PM on April 1

D: My eyes!
posted by dipping_sauce at 12:41 PM on April 1

Dear Scott Andrew and Eric Costello: I hate you.
posted by rusty at 12:50 PM on April 1

I think it gave me a seizure
posted by luriete at 12:51 PM on April 1

I hope no one is on acid and visiting MeFi today.
posted by deborah at 1:10 PM on April 1

Looks like I picked a bad day to quit LSD.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 1:18 PM on April 1

Yet more evidence that Metafilter should default to a professional looking white background.
posted by Justinian at 1:24 PM on April 1

I hope no one is on acid and visiting MeFi today.

I have to change my work habits just because it's April Fools' Day?
posted by Armitage Shanks at 1:25 PM on April 1 [4 favorites]

I really like how AskMeFi looks with a very dark green background.
posted by Memo at 1:46 PM on April 1

It's been such a long time since I've done anything with HTML that I have no idea if this is even easily possible, but may I suggest that on some future April Fools day, you consider a similar trick, but have the words slowly fade away. I seriously wondered what the hell was going on for a couple of minutes this morning before I remembered why I couldn't trust anything or anyone today.
posted by quin at 1:53 PM on April 1

Aww. I like it. I tab away to read a link and when I come back it's all different.
posted by cmyk at 2:11 PM on April 1

And in the Plain theme it just gets grayer.... and grayer...
posted by zsazsa at 2:40 PM on April 1

I prefer to think of it as "losing brightness" which is sort of a metaphor for how I usually feel about April Fools Day generally.
posted by jessamyn at 2:44 PM on April 1

I was comparing two monitors this morning, and the only thing on the screen was a browser with MeFi. The first one I had plugged in looked fine, but the second just didn't seem as bright and contrasty. Now I'm going to have to re-test, and not use Metafilter as a reference this time...
posted by zsazsa at 2:55 PM on April 1

Huh, turns out I was low on green toner for my monitor. Put in the new cartridge and bingo, problem solved!
posted by tomble at 4:08 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]

Wow, this page has been open about an hour now and it's a rather attractive fire-engine red. Clever and all, but April Fool's Day was cancelled this year. On account of terrorists.
posted by carsonb at 4:14 PM on April 1

You've heard of mood rings, right? These days, metafilter.com operates on a similar principle...
posted by ubersturm at 4:18 PM on April 1

It's the muskrats again.
posted by jfuller at 4:29 PM on April 1

Huh, mine does this all the time.

*checks toner...yep, it's low.*
posted by snsranch at 4:30 PM on April 1

So this is how the robot rebellion begins.
posted by Atreides at 4:45 PM on April 1

What's the secret?
posted by Neilopolis at 5:06 PM on April 1

Son of a bitch. I was adjusting the contrast of my monitor back and forth like a crazyperson before I switched to another tab in Firefox.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 5:14 PM on April 1

You've heard of mood rings, right? These days, metafilter.com operates on a similar principle...

How cool would it be if the site background changed (as you were reading, using the magic of AJAX) according the amount of [metric] (perhaps snark or asshattery) going on? The answer to this question is clearly "Very, until we're all faced with the grim reality of the conditions on the site"
posted by !Jim at 5:26 PM on April 1

Not that this isn't tremendously funny, but, why is it still happening now that April Fool's Day is over?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 5:46 PM on April 1

betterton writes "It's incredible how disturbing it is to have the colors change. I spent a good 5 minutes thinking I was going insane."

I thought the awesome graphics series Viewsonic I lucked into was flaking out on me just as I was beginnning to get used to it's crispy goodness. I was all "Oh Noes, how am I ever going to replace this monitor!!!?". Only the fact that AutoCAD was looking normal prevented me from stabbing myself to death with a rusty coke can.
posted by Mitheral at 6:10 PM on April 1

AmbroseChapel writes "why is it still happening now that April Fool's Day is over?"

It's the new default setting. Or it's still April first in server land, one or the other.
posted by Mitheral at 6:11 PM on April 1

There are some colors that are just too darn pretty to refresh. Now that this ugly blue has turned up I can hit post.
posted by pointilist at 6:19 PM on April 1

Ha!

I eventually decided it was my power setting lightening my screen. Though I don't remember puke green being an option.

Very sweet. Just when we've all learned to question anything in text form on Apr 1.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:24 PM on April 1

OK, I'm sick of it.
posted by evil holiday magic at 6:33 PM on April 1

I assumed it was an acid flashhback. Even though I've never done any acid.
posted by orange swan at 6:56 PM on April 1

Hate. You.

No joke. No funny. Just unreadable after I let a thread sit mid-read for a while to do some, y'know, work.

Jerkbags. Happy April Jerk's day.

[TOTALLY JERKIST]
posted by abulafa at 6:59 PM on April 1

Pish. I noticed this months ago.
posted by Spike at 7:08 PM on April 1

Wow. Love the dark, dark blue.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 7:19 PM on April 1

Happy April Jerk's day.

serves you right for working...
posted by jessamyn at 7:23 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]

Bring the color back or the computer dies!
posted by artdrectr at 7:26 PM on April 1

OK - I have been staring at these trippy colors all day and just now my cat walked over and said, plain as day, "I am originally from the sombrero galaxy." Advise!!
posted by vronsky at 7:37 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]

It's actually far more annoying than I would've thought it could be... trying to read the site on the occasional washed out background is kind of eye-straining...

yuck. can't wait for april 2.
posted by twiggy at 7:43 PM on April 1

Seriously, it's really annoying. Can someone please turn it off now?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:45 PM on April 1

yeah, I appreciate the intent, but for old folk with poor vision as it is, it's really annoying to not be able to even read the page because the contrast is so off. I go to answer a question and I can't even read the previous responses anymore because it's all a blur....
posted by zengargoyle at 7:49 PM on April 1

You can turn it off yourself. There is a Make it Stop link at the bottom of each page which we've mentioned many times, but I think we're wrapping it up in about eleven minutes anyhow.
posted by jessamyn at 7:49 PM on April 1

Is the best answer checkbox a different color green today or am I just MAD?
posted by smackfu at 7:52 PM on April 1

This should be a permanent option, as a good timer for those of us with poor self-restriction powers.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:52 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]

How cool would it be if the site background changed (as you were reading, using the magic of AJAX) according the amount of [metric] (perhaps snark or asshattery) going on?

That is simultaneously both the best and worst pony idea I've heard in a while.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:57 PM on April 1

I think it's finally over now.
posted by mathowie at 8:16 PM on April 1

Man, some people need to get their sense of humour adjusted. Or to get laid, or something.
posted by dg at 8:22 PM on April 1

>There is a Make it Stop link at the bottom of each page which we've mentioned many times

Where, exactly, did you mention it?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 8:26 PM on April 1

In the first MeTa thread about this, just below this one?
posted by jessamyn at 8:30 PM on April 1

You mean the one which doesn't appear to be about changing background colours, rather than this one, which clearly is?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 8:39 PM on April 1

The whole site was changing background colors and just (all) stopped about 44 minutes ago. The first thread about the trick explained how to turn it off after the first 30 minutes. I'm sorry you didn't see it.
posted by jessamyn at 8:44 PM on April 1

jessamyn, I haven't the faintest idea why you're explaining to me that the background colours of the site were changing.

Here's my point.

Colours are changing.
It's annoying
I know enough to come to MeTa to see if there's a thread about it
I find a thread about it
The obvious thread doesn't help me turn it off
you tell me you mentioned it "many times"
It turns out you did, but not on the obvious thread; obviously I should have gone to the cooler thread where all the Popular Kids hang out
None of this has made me less annoyed

While we're at it, why did it continue fourteen hours into April 2?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 8:56 PM on April 1

Also, this thread provides at least one link to that other thread. Also, that other thread was posted on AFD with the words "nice trick" and accumulated over 200 comments.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:56 PM on April 1

Also, it continued 14 hours into April 2 where you are. In US CST, it's not quite 11:00pm on April 1. On the west coast, it's not quite 9:00 pm. Seems reasonable, given that's where the site's owner lives.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:58 PM on April 1

>that other thread was posted on AFD with the words "nice trick" and accumulated over 200 comments

So it's also my fault for coming to MeTa at the wrong time. I see now. Well it's certainly getting less and less annoying as people explain to me how I should have figured it out but didn't.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 9:15 PM on April 1

There's no fool like an April fool.
posted by Dave Faris at 9:17 PM on April 1

I think AmbroseChapel needs a hug.
posted by amyms at 9:25 PM on April 1

Well it's certainly getting less and less annoying as people explain to me how I should have figured it out but didn't.

Uh, not that I particularly have a dog in this fight, but that thread is (1) two posts down the page from this one, (2) clearly references a "trick" on AFD and all day long has had more comments than this one (and from about minute thirty had enough comments to gain notice from even a casual MeTa reader), and (3) is directly linked from this thread, which you have apparently read. Your MeFi membership doesn't come with a spoon.

So no, it's not a timing issue, and if you want to go on blaming the mods for not putting a big throbbing <blink>-tastic post on the front page alerting you to the presence of (a) the prank, and (b) the solution, go ahead, but you could just deal with the fact that you had to deal with a day-long minor online annoyance, and rest comfortably in the knowledge that our long international nightmare of changing background colors is over.
posted by middleclasstool at 9:36 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]

You do know what sarcasm is, right?

What I actually meant was, it's getting more annoying the more you explain how I should have figured it out but didn't.

But, please do go on explaining how the thread about background colours isn't the thread someone interested in background colours should go to.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 9:39 PM on April 1

I don't want to rub salt in your wound, AmbroseChapel, but if it was bothering you that much, why didn't you just email the mods using the contact link?
posted by amyms at 9:40 PM on April 1

Why didn't I email the mods about a thing there was already a MeTa thread about? I'm not sure I get what you mean.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 9:48 PM on April 1

I miss the purdy colors. :(
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:48 PM on April 1

Just as a general note for posterity (and not piling on, I just happened to pop in just now) but: any time I have emailed Matt, Jessamyn, or Cortex about anything, no matter how trivial, I have always gotten a gracious and informative reply, usually within minutes. They are also pretty available via IM.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:53 PM on April 1

Yes, I understand sarcasm. And yes, I got what you meant. I went to school and everything.

My point, which I hesitate making, because I'm pretty sure it will do no good, is that when you miss things, it's not always worth spending multiple comments yelling at the mods about it, even if that yelling involves carefully-formatted unordered lists, and especially when the solution wasn't exactly shrouded in the Mathowie Code. Sometimes it's just that you missed things, and yet life goes on. Like you apparently carefully read the thread here and yet missed the link to the previous one. The mods have undoubtedly registered your frustration and will take it into account next year. All is well, the internet continues to function, and the comforting familiar backgrounds have returned, unmolested by today's fun. I'm pretty sure it will continue that way for at least 355 more days, so you may lay head to pillow without fear. Who knows what horrors 2009 will bring.
posted by middleclasstool at 9:55 PM on April 1

Gah, 364 more days. Math + sleep deprivation = Math++
posted by middleclasstool at 9:56 PM on April 1

I don't think you can sneer at me for couching my complaints in carefully-formatted HTML and at the same time call it "yelling". I think you have to pick one.

Because you don't seem to understand my point, I'll make it again for you.

I find something MetaTalk-worthy going on.
I come to MetaTalk.
I see a thread which is clearly about that thing.
I go to that thread and say I don't like it.
jessamyn gets snotty with me because the "Make It Stop" link has been mentioned "many times".
When I ask where, she tells me "on another thread".
You tell me I should have somehow figured out for myself that the thread clearly marked "X" was not the real thread, because I should have been here at a north-american-timezone appropriate time, noticed how many comments the other thread was getting, and realised it was the "real" thread, because its title was "nice trick [spoilers redacted]"

Let me know if you still don't get why that's annoying.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 10:15 PM on April 1

This joke really caught me off guard. Took me awhile to figure out what was going on. I definitely thought my laptop screen was fucked and I also kept trying to move out of the sun to get the glare off. I was really squinting by the time I finally wandered into that other MeTa thread and figured out what was going on. It was hilarious. I was laughing so hard and there was no way to explain it to my housemates. I've had one tab of each subsite's front page open all day just so I could watch the changing colors. I really enjoyed it. I've been giggling all day. The April Fools joke here is so different every year, and I always forget to look for it. This one crept up so slowly, it was really easy to not notice it at first. Brilliant.

Also, thank you for giving us the link to "relive the magic". I really hope you keep that around because I'm going to randomly do that every other day for the next month I'm sure.
posted by mosessis at 10:34 PM on April 1

Also, Ambrose, I didn't read jessamyn's comment as snooty or condescending, so I think there's room for different readings there. Maybe give her the benefit of the doubt on this one? I've always found her to be incredibly helpful and friendly whenever I needed help.
posted by mosessis at 10:38 PM on April 1

Because you don't seem to understand my point

You're humourless and live in a different timezone than other people, we get it.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:50 PM on April 1 [3 favorites]

Alvy, you forgot [not-other-hemispherist].
posted by amyms at 10:52 PM on April 1

Hey, there's nothing other-hemispherist about pointing out timezone differences! Some of my bestest internet friends live in other hemispheres!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:01 PM on April 1

Dammit. I should have checked MetaFilter before playing my Scrabulous turns. There were colors?
posted by Locative at 11:11 PM on April 1

Woot! Thanks for keeping this alive; it's been fun and also excellent for my productivity today.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:16 PM on April 1

Here's my point.

Several. In bullet points, no less.

Because you don't seem to understand my point, I'll make it again for you.

Oh, god. Please no more HTML bullet points.

5. jessamyn gets snotty with me because the "Make It Stop" link has been mentioned "many times".

Oh, fuck. Numbered bullet points!

That's not snotty. I'm about to show you snotty. I don't know what shirking violet planet you grew up on, but walking out your front door and being buffeted by mild breezes must be excruciating for you. Grow a hide!

Let me know if you still don't get why that's annoying.

Yeah. Still don't get it. Look, if you were that annoyed - like many were - you could have done something about it. If you're so sorely lacking a funny bone, then I suggest using your brain. Javascript can be disabled, most modern browsers have a "display animation" checkbox that can be unchecked.

Or, you know, you could have read a bit more like most of us and you could have easily - in less than 5 minutes of halfway attentive reading - discovered the easy solution.

Y'know, maybe before pulling out the bulleted lists and going all enraged poindexter on the situation.

Seriously, that was one of the most obnoxious, irritating, out-of-proportion displays of misplaced outrage I've ever seen on this site. The mods here must have the patience of drunken saints. I think I'd probably ban you just for being really irritating. And I know something about being irritating.
posted by loquacious at 11:37 PM on April 1 [10 favorites]

AmbroseChapel, I get why you are annoyed, even if nobody else doesn't.

Now shut the fuck up, build a bridge and get over it.
posted by dg at 11:47 PM on April 1

I kept a page of 4 of the sites open all day. Every time I had a chance, I came back to see if the magic was still happening. It is now April 2 on the west coast of the US, but those pages are still cycling through the lovely colors. I may never turn off my computer again.

I remember when you posted a red site and people screamed "My eyes!", so it is useless for me to hope for cranberry red on a permanent basis, but could you use that gorgeous dark purple for the next meta-feature?

Thanks mathowie. There have been complaints, but some of us loved your joke.
posted by Cranberry at 12:13 AM on April 2

I think, for a brief moment, the background colour actually matched the shade of the MeFi t-shirt I bought last year...
posted by misteraitch at 2:11 AM on April 2

Thanks mathowie. There have been complaints, but some of us loved your joke.
posted by Cranberry

Ditto here. It was a great experience. I was off work yesterday, and had more time than usual to hang out on MeFi. I saw the initial thread ("nice trick!") about it, before I noticed the effect. Plus, since I tend to bounce quickly around the site, I was never static enough to see it right away.

As I was reading the thread, I kept thinking,"What the hell are they talking about?" Then I thought, "Oh, I get it! There IS NO JOKE! The joke is just saying there is a "subtle" joke, and making people crazy by looking for a joke that's not there. Now, that thread was the first page I was on long enough for the change happen. But when I first noticed it, I thought for sure that the power of suggestion was making me see a color shift that wasn't there. I've studies magic and the psychology behind fake psychics most of my life, so I know what a profound effect suggestion can have. So there was a good minute or so where I got to have that feeling of doubting of my own senses, until it became obvious by comparing the color to the header and seeing the difference.

So, thanks to mathowie and all who made it happen, and all the good sports who thought of creative, bogus "solutions."
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:30 AM on April 2

Can we keep it?
It can sleep at the foot of my bed and I'll feed it and take it for walks.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 6:44 AM on April 2

Can we keep it?

There's a "Make it Start" link at the bottom of the page.
posted by jessamyn at 7:16 AM on April 2

When I ask where, she tells me "on another thread".

Fuzzy Skinner also pointed it out on this thread - not directly linked but yelled about :).

I have made it start again, myself. I turned it off too quickly yesterday when it was going through the eye-hurty phase (I am optimistic this is a phase).
posted by mdn at 8:12 AM on April 2

Taste the rainbow! April 1, 2008 8:49 AM Subscribe

Taste the rainbow!
April 1, 2008 8:49 AM Subscribe