April 1, 2000

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April 1, 2000 was an April Fool's Day falling on a Saturday. Hoaxes for this year included:

• Google described how to "search smarter and faster" with Google's MentalPlex.

• Kerry Gilliard , webmaster of the Zeta Phi Beta Sigma Times and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated sends out a fake e-mail announcement, claiming to originate from PBS's International Headquarters. The e-mail claims that continued hazing lawsuits have forced Sigma to seek financial assistance to continue existence. The result is a merger not only with their sister organization Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, but also with a second sorority - Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. The resultant group was to be renamed 'Zeta Phi Beta Sigma Gamma Rho'. The e-mail was taken as legitimate by many and caused quite a stir at all three headquarters (including repeated phone calls asking the same questions again and again) for several months following the joke. Gilliard sent out the same joke two years prior on the National Pan-Hellenic Council e-mail discussion list.

• A banner declaring "Ceci n'est pas un hack" (This is not a hack) appeared on the great dome at MIT.