YouTube Says It's Shutting Down in April Fools' Day Prank

By Samantha Murphy

YouTube announced it will be shutting down after eight years and will no longer accept videos. The news comes, of course, just before April Fools' Day.

The company teamed up with The Onion to create a YouTube-star-studded video explaining how the site was set up as part of a contest to find the best home video on the Internet.

"We are so close to the end," Tom Liston, communications director at YouTube, said in the video. "Tonight at midnight, YouTube.com will no longer be accepting entries. After eight amazing years, it's finally time to review everything that has been uploaded to our site and begin the process of selecting a winner."

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With hilarious cameos from YouTube celebrities such as Antoine Dodson, David After Dentist and Charlie and his brother (from the video "Charlie Bit My Finger" video) — everyone in the clip is in on the joke.

"We are all storytellers — that is what pulled me into this contest," said Dodson, known for the viral "Bed Intruder" Auto-Tune video. "I encourage everybody to watch as many videos as possible before YouTube deletes everything tonight."

YouTube said every video on the site will be reviewed by a panel of judges and it will take 10 years to watch them all. The winner will be announced in 2023, when the site finally comes back online.

In an attempt to make the prank more believable, YouTube will add a live stream (starting at noon ET on Monday) of two faux presenters announcing "Best Video" nominees, which will run on the site for 12 hours. Although the stream will start out with the feel of an Emmys or Oscars presentation, it's expected to get a little bit kooky and stranger as the day goes on.

It's no secret that April Fools' Day is a big part of Google and YouTube's company culture and tradition. For example, YouTube did a throwback in 2011 to fake viral videos from 100 years ago and last year, the site said you could order all clips on DVD. In 2008, every video led to a Rick Roll.

What do you think of this year's prank? Which is the best you've seen on web today? Let us know in the comments.

Homepage image via liStockphoto, lightkey

Google Tricks and Easter Eggs

  1. Enter "Google Gravity" in the search bar. Hit "I'm feeling lucky" (if you have Google Instant enabled, it's on the right hand side of the suggested searches). Then watch your world fall down.

    Gravity

    Enter "Google Gravity" in the search bar. Hit "I'm feeling lucky" (if you have Google Instant enabled, it's on the right hand side of the suggested searches). Then watch your world fall down.

  2. Simply search for the word "askew." We dare you not to tilt your head.

    Askew

    Simply search for the word "askew." We dare you not to tilt your head.

  3. Search for the Walker Texas Ranger star, hit I'm Feeling Lucky, and Google will school you in Norrisology.

    Chuck Norris

    Search for the Walker Texas Ranger star, hit I'm Feeling Lucky, and Google will school you in Norrisology.

  4. Searching for ASCII art -- the kind built out of characters -- is about the nerdiest thing you can do. Google salutes you with a special logo.

    ASCII

    Searching for ASCII art -- the kind built out of characters -- is about the nerdiest thing you can do. Google salutes you with a special logo.

  5. Here's one for word nerds and philosophy majors. Search for "recursion" and Google asks "did you mean recursion?"

    Recursion

    Here's one for word nerds and philosophy majors. Search for "recursion" and Google asks "did you mean recursion?"

  6. This one started life as an April Fool's joke, but is still around at google.com/mentalplex. Baffle your less Internet-savvy family and friends!

    Mentalplex

    This one started life as an April Fool's joke, but is still around at google.com/mentalplex. Baffle your less Internet-savvy family and friends!

  7. The Google doodle that launched a thousand lost hours of productivity will live forever at google.com/pacman.

    Pacman

    The Google doodle that launched a thousand lost hours of productivity will live forever at google.com/pacman.

  8. Here's where Google easter eggs start to get a little more complex. Go to Google Reader, then use your cursor keys thus: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A. A ninja then pops onto your screen and into your search box. Thankfully, this still works in the new version of Google Reader.

    Ninja!

    Here's where Google easter eggs start to get a little more complex. Go to Google Reader, then use your cursor keys thus: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A. A ninja then pops onto your screen and into your search box. Thankfully, this still works in the new version of Google Reader.

  9. Set your iGoogle homepage to the beach theme. Wait until 3:14am (or if you can't, just move your clock forward). What monster this way comes? Could we be on the shores of Loch Ness?

    Nessie

    Set your iGoogle homepage to the beach theme. Wait until 3:14am (or if you can't, just move your clock forward). What monster this way comes? Could we be on the shores of Loch Ness?

  10. This one began life as an easter egg, and became so well-loved that Google incorporated it as a feature in Google Earth. Click on Tools > Enter Flight Simulator, and you're off and flying around the planet. Bon voyage!

    Flight simulator

    This one began life as an easter egg, and became so well-loved that Google incorporated it as a feature in Google Earth. Click on Tools > Enter Flight Simulator, and you're off and flying around the planet. Bon voyage!