If you saw first thing this morning the news that search engine giant Google had renamed itself Topeka and the timing of the announcement didn’t speak volumes to you right away, you probably deserved a little ribbing from co-workers around the water cooler.
If, by now, the significance of the announcement happening on this particular day still hasn’t dawned on you, you deserve someone slapping you upside the head.
Yes. It was an April Fools’ Day prank, and, according to the buzz going around the internet today, one of the most notable.
Which tells me that as April Fools’ Days go, this one must have been pretty mild.
Google chose Topeka, according to its blog, because that city changed its name to Google for a day to try to persuade the company to test its new ultra-fast fiber optics connection there.
Also in the statement was a partial answer to the obvious question: would a former Googler become a Topeker or a Topekan? The results were said to be under consideration at a board meeting today.
Personally, I’m glad it was all a big joke.
Topekaing someone just wouldn’t be the same.
