Google, Open Directory Get Foolish

Another first -- search engines playing April Fool's Jokes. Yesterday, Google posted news of its new "PigeonRank" technology that employs -- you guessed it -- hundreds of pigeons pecking away to rank web pages.

Meanwhile, the Open Directory got a new look, one featuring the Microsoft logo, as illustrated below (click on the picture for a larger image).

At least for a day, Microsoft had acquired the Open Directory and changed it into GOD -- the Gates Open Directory project.

The fun didn't stop there. Stop by either of the search engine forums below and check out some of the posts from April 1, and you'll see a variety of foolishness pursued on April 1. Nor was Search Engine Watch immune -- a special SearchDay edition below features stories that we hope give you a chuckle.

Google PigeonRank
http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html

Features illustrations of pigeons hard at work, pecking to make your searches better.

MSN Delivers Another Brick in "the Wall"
http://www.microsoft.com@dmoz.org/April-01-2002_GOD_PR.html

Fake press release about the Microsoft acquisition of the ODP.

Microsoft buys the Open Directory -- or not
Pandia, April 1, 2002
http://www.pandia.com/sw-2002/11-god.html

Reviews the ODP prank.

Webmaster World
http://www.webmasterworld.com

Aside from having evolved into the Slashdot for the search engine marketing world, you'll find some funny April Fool's posts here.

Search Engine Forums
http://www.searchengineforums.com

Another place for both serious search engine marketing discussions as well as some funny posts.

Google Quits Search, Focuses on Waste Management
SearchDay, April 1, 2002
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/02/sd0401-foolin.html

Our special April Fool's edition of SearchDay.