@joekido:
If the Admin/Mods planned this, why did they get serious about it? Why could they be silent and never post anything?
Now that it's the past, I no longer need to stay angery at the leaders, I have now forgaven them. I wish they would not get serious.
I think it was because in part, being serious about it, was to propel the plan to make it believable, which is quintessential for any prank to work.
I am very much reminded of the "lesson" episodes from Arrested Development. Michael's attempts at teaching a lesson were never effective, as they were never believable due to various circumstances. George Sr. however, made you believe that each time, you had ripped off a man's arm.
If the same prank had been pulled, only it had gone according to their plan, but everyone was given enough blatant clues to know it wasn't real, would it have been as funny? Would it have been as epic? Can they really be faulted for trying to do something as a genuine prank and not a half-assed one?
(Yea, Michael did manage to teach a lesson eventually, but I'm making a point here! And referencing AD!)