Scioly.org:April Fools' Day
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 | This article is just for fun. It is not official and is not related to the National Science Olympiad, any official tournaments or events, or teams that compete at those tournaments. Instead, this page is satirical or details an event on Scioly.org. |
April Fools' Day on Scioly.org is an annual tradition where Scioly.org staff update the site to include pranks, usually involving the Forums and Wiki but sometimes extending across the site. Occasionally these pranks reflect the current state of Science Olympiad or Scioly.org, and other times they are just simple tricks intended to surprise users who visit the site on April 1.
This page documents some of the past April Fools' Day pranks by Scioly.org.
2012: Division D
Scioly.org announced a new Science Olympiad collegiate competition, called Division D with division-specific events such as Astrophysics, Combustible Rocket, and Say It Do It.
2013: Astro Theme?
2014: Test Exchange Paywall
Scioly.org set up a paywall on the Test Exchange as a reminder that as a community-sourced resource, the available content on the site would continue to be dependent on user contributions. The following day, robotman shared an argument for resource sharing.
A Simple Announcement
April 1, 2014
Hello All.Yesterday, April 1st we continued our tradition of letting the staff have some fun and generally do whatever devious ideas that we could think of to the board. However We as a whole decided to do one other prank, and that was to create the idea that some of scioly.org was not free anymore, and thus we setup the Paywall for the Test Exchange. This Prank served two major purposes, the first was to get you guys to react to our “change in policy”, and the second was to serve as a reminder. Scioly.org is a community resource, it is (and always will be) totally free to access all the materials on the site. However this total freedom does come at a price. The price is that you as users must contribute to the site in order for everyone to benefit. If you benefit from the test exchange, you should upload tests to help others. If you find the images helpful on the image gallery, please please upload images in order to help others. If you want to continue to benefit from the wiki pages, you yourself should take some time and put information onto the wiki. The information does not have to be formatted, that is something the staff can do, but the information should be added so that those who need information can benefit. Submit information so that everyone can benefit as a whole.
This “prank” was a reminder of how much you guys value the resources that Scioly.org, has to offer, and how many of you take advantage of these resources, so please think about how you felt when the test exchange disappeared, and take the time to give back to our community.
2015: SmartWatch Support and Mobile Improvements
Scioly.org announced smartwatch compatibility for the website.
SmartWatch Support and Mobile Improvements!
March 31, 2015
Scioly.org is always doing it everything it can to keep up with the times, and today we’re proud to announce a major step forward for the website.Recently, Apple unveiled its new line of smartwatches, expected to kick off a massive wearables craze. Just as we made every effort to make scioly.org a mobile-friendly site, we’re making every effort to make sure scioly.org is also a wearable-friendly site.
That’s why, starting today, our website will be smartwatch-compatible. Smartwatch users will be able to view the site comfortably on their device, without having to deal with enormous, hard-to-read text from the previous, desktop-oriented version.
We’re always looking to improve, so if you have any suggestions, be sure to let us know!
2016: Greyscale
Scioly.org announced that due to limited remaining server space, the site would transition to a greyscale appearance. The site index and Forums displayed without color, and while on these pages, users' cursors were stuck on loading.
Many censors were added to the Forums for the following humorous text replacements: the to tHe, a to A, your to you're, their to there, they're to there, than to then, it's to its, affect to effect, unofficial to official, Physical Sciences to Black Magic, physics to black magic, chemistry to explosions, chem to explosions, biology to mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, space to spaaaaace, force to horse, medal to fifa coin, insect to bug, team to herd of pink sparkly unicorns, bridge to footbridge, > portal gun
yea* to yessssssss, and too to to. The Main Page of the Wiki was also jumbled.
Site Over Server Capacity
March 31, 2016
As some of you may know, we had a couple days recently where the site was down temporarily. This was due to the fact that the data placed on the site exceeded the amount of server space available to robotman. While we deeply appreciate all users' enthusiasm in supplying their knowledge to the site, we will have to work on contracting some of that data in order to avoid future downtimes, especially with nationals coming soon.As a part of this, we are working on grayscaling the site. We have found that storing data for all of the colors uses a surprising amount of space, so to give us some extra breathing room, we have removed them. As this is a rather widespread change, there may be some glitching that occurs throughout the site as we test it. This is completely normal, and hopefully in time it will not affect your studies too much.
If you do experience difficulties, please enter the chat, where a member of our administrative team will (hopefully) be online to assist you.
Thank you for your consideration!
2017: Switcheroo
Several parts of the site were flipped. On the Forums, user ranks and username colors were flipped so that regular users were labeled as administrators, administrators were labeled as regular users, and so on. Also on the Forums, the last two lines ("Jeff Anderson" and "Livonia, MI") of jander14indoor's well-recognized signature were flipped. The Main Page of the Wiki was replaced with Lolmain. On Chat, all users were assigned "OP," which on IRC grants moderator permissions.
The start of a new Test Exchange was also announced in the following post.
Site Transition: March Update
April 1, 2017
Scioly.org is continually improving to better support Science Olympiad competitors. With feedback from users, we have made the following changes.Instant clarifications. We've turned on mobile text notifications for chalker's phone for the chalker, can I... thread so he'll get a text every time you post a question there, ensuring faster responses.
Reversal of roles. Scioly.org is built by and for you, the competitors. Your posts in the forums, wiki edits, and test uploads make the site what is today. In acknowledgement of this, we've increased privileges of all users on this site. [size=2]DOWN WITH THE MODS[/size]
An improved test exchange. More functionality coming later. The old test exchange is accessible through the wiki main page.
We appreciate your patience as remaining issues from the site transition earlier this year continue to be resolved. As always, please post any issues you encounter in our designated thread.
2018: Site Watermark
A watermark was added to the site index, Forums, Wiki, and Test Exchange, indicating that the site was specifically prepared for the user accessing the site to "discourage redistribution." This was done to draw attention to some tournaments watermarking their tests, a practice that many viewed as excessively protective. In the following seasons, following example of tournaments such as the Princeton Invitational, many tournaments (including those who were previously watermarking) began publicly releasing their tests.
To the Forums, censors were also added to replace nats and nationals with regionals and April Fool* with Easter. The Main Page of the Wiki was replaced with Lolmain.
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2019: uwu
Across the site, the logo for the site was replaced with an "uwu" version. View a web archive of the site index here. The Main Page of the Wiki was replaced with Lolmain.
2020: Cancelled
In light of tournament cancellations across the nation and the progressing COVID-19 pandemic, Scioly.org did not run its usual April Fools' Day festivities and instead issued a statement of encouragement to the Science Olympiad community.
To Our Scioly.org Community
April 1, 2020
Dear Scioly.org Community,If you've been on Scioly.org around this time in previous seasons, you may remember a watermarked site, the site in grayscale, announcements of "smartwatch" support, and a Test Exchange paywall.
Undoubtedly, this season has been unusual, and this year Scioly.org is opting out of our traditional April Fools' Day events. We're doing so out of respect for everyone in our community and beyond affected by COVID-19, and in this moment of uncertainty and stress, it is important more than ever to stay true and factual. Your discussions show your passion for Science Olympiad, and together you helped crowdsource a resource with the latest, accurate updates on tournaments nationwide. We're proud of you and how you're handling these changes.
As you follow the events around us, we hope you're also giving attention to your own health, both mentally and physically. Find time for mindfuless, self care, exercise, or whatever helps you feel more like yourself. Remember, it's okay not to be at your most productive during a pandemic.
As always, in the Scioly.org community we're here for one another, and we'll get through this together to see brighter times. Take care, and stay safe.
Your Scioly.org Staff
2021: Throwback Thursday
Scioly.org revisited styles from previous generations of the site in the theme of "Throwback Thursday," as April Fools' Day was on a Thursday. View an archive of the site on Wayback Machine.
The site index was replaced with a page mimicking the style of site in its fourth generation. This page contained humorous Science Olympiad-related headlines, a "Team of the Week" section linking to a random Wiki page, a "User of the Week" naming the user accessing the page, an Image Gallery link linking to Google Images, a link to a Rickroll, links that would move right when hovered, randomly selected Your Daily Random Comment posts, and Forums statistics. The bottom of the page included a "hit" counter with randomly generated numbers which when clicked would rotate or reflect the page. View a web archive of the site index here.
The Forums were restyled to mimic the style of the site in its fifth generation with blue backgrounds, rounded corners, and gradient-filled buttons. The site navigation bar on the Forums displayed the logo from the fifth generation, designed by zyzzyva980. View a web archive of the Forums here.
The Main Page of the Wiki was replaced with an "uwu" version, prepared by kleinerPanzer, and the site navigation bar for the Wiki was replaced with an "uwu" version containing the logo designed for April Fools' Day of 2019. View a web archive of the Wiki here.
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2022: Flying With a Bit of Turbulence
Sections across Scioly.org were jumbled. Letters in the site logo swapped places (from "Scioly.org" to "Scoily.org") and the top navigation bar of Scioly.org had links rearranged. On the site index, words of the about paragraph and tile/icon links were rearranged. On the Forums, forums and subforums sections were reordered, and the nationals subforum was renamed from "Nationals" to "California" with its location set to "CalTech University."
Scioly.org Chat also experienced a bit of turbulence, with the Discord server renamed and its server icon replaced to match the jumbled letters of the website ("Scoily.org"). Channels and roles were renamed to fit the flight theme, and the order of channels within each category was rearranged periodically throughout the day.
| Category | Original Value | Replacement |
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| Server | #welcome | No change |
| #rules | No change | |
| #join-log | #new-passengers | |
| #bot-spam | #ticket-kiosk | |
| #tournaments | #airports | |
| #site-support | #call-attendant | |
| Announcements | #announcements | #from-the-captain |
| #changelog | No change | |
| #scioly-news | #wright-stuff-news | |
| General | #lounge | #waiting-area |
| #academics | #pilot-school | |
| #non-scioly-advice | #non-wright-stuff-advice | |
| #interests | #planespotting | |
| #memes | #plane-jokes | |
| #venting | No change | |
| #games | #in-flight-entertainment | |
| Science Olympiad | #scioly | #wright-stuff |
| #events | #flight-events | |
| #competitions | #air-shows | |
| #nationals | #federal-aviation-administration | |
| #alumni | #licensed-pilots | |
| #wiki | #air-wiki | |
| #gallery | #window-seat | |
| #ssss-smec | No change | |
| #scilympiad | #flight-simulator | |
| Roles | Staff | Flight Crew |
| VIP | Platinum Rewards Flyer | |
| Exalted Member | Frequent Flyer | |
| Member | Main Cabin | |
| Pi-Bot | Biscoff-Bot |
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2023: SciolyCoin
Scioly.org announced launch of a new digital currency called "SciolyCoin" which users could invest in. The website was rebranded with a green theme, the logo was replaced with one where currency replaced letters, sections of the navigation bar and home page were renamed to fit a financial theme, and notification counts were displayed in the navigation bar as currencies. View an archive of the site on Wayback Machine.
| Original Value | Replacement |
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| All Forums | All Tickers |
| Build Events | Build Your Portfolio |
| Lab Events | Experimental Coins |
| Study Events | Financial Literacy |
| Question Marathons | Stock Market Simulator |
| Competition Forums | Investor Forums |
| Wiki | Investor Wiki |
| Test Exchange | Securities Exchange |
| Test Archive | Fiat Exchange |
| Gallery | Sample Portfolios |
| Chat | Consultations |
| Login | Investor Login |
Investing in Your Future with SciolyCoin
April 1, 2023
Today, we are excited to announce a new strategy for investing in the future of Science Olympiad: SciolyCoin.SciolyCoin is a new and innovative digital currency backed by a valuable asset—Scioly.org's extensive repositories of tests from Science Olympiad competitions. The value of this cryptocurrency is directly tied to the availability and demand for these resources. Our collection is continuously growing and our cloud servers are continuously mining more SciolyCoin by validating the extremely complex transactions of, "Is this a spambot?" (Yes, our recent website slowdowns may have been related to a beta run of the new currency.)
As a community resource, SciolyCoin operates on a decentralized blockchain platform with advanced encryption methods that incorporate user IP addresses and pre-release tournament results to ensure transactions are safe and secure. We ensure that anyone interested in SciolyCoin may have an opportunity to invest.
It is important to note that investing in SciolyCoin carries risks, and the value of the currency may fluctuate. SciolyCoin is not insured, and investment is at your own risk. Interested investors may head over to [scioly.org/chat https://scioly.org/chat] for a free one-on-one financial consultation. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey and experience the value of our unique currency firsthand.
We believe that SciolyCoin has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about digital currencies and support science education.
Thank you,
Scioly.org
Disclaimer: Scioly.org is not a financial institution and does not offer financial services. All information and content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or investment advice. Scioly.org does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any information or content on this platform and cannot be held liable for any losses or damages resulting from the use of this information or content. It is essential to conduct your own research and seek professional advice before making any financial or investment decisions.
2024: Optimizing Website Loading Speed
Scioly.org announced that to optimize webpage load times and load to its servers, it would be implementing changes to including removing all color from the website. The announcement came after several periods of website downtime in the last year ranging from a few days to several weeks at a time due to various issues with the server. View an archive of the site on Wayback Machine.
Optimizing Website Loading Speed
April 1, 2024
We apologize for the recent difficulties you may have experienced while trying to access Scioly.org. We understand that the extended load times have caused frustration and inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize for any disruption to your browsing experience.After thorough investigation, we have identified that the issues were primarily related to our server performance. To address the problem and enhance website speed, we have implemented changes to streamline our website. As part of this optimization process, we have made the decision to remove all color from the website. While this adjustment may result in a simpler visual experience, it will significantly improve loading times and ensure quicker access to the content you need.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to resolve these issues. If you encounter any further difficulties or have any feedback regarding the website's performance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Your feedback is important to us as we continue to make our site work best for our users.
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2025: Carbon Neutrality
Scioly.org announced its commitment to achieving 100% carbon neutrality by the end of the following season. The announcement outlined plans to rethink tournaments, optimize energy use, and enforce new sustainability standards, detailing various new requirements, including reusing tests, reducing energy consumption from site usage, transitioning to solar energy, implementing event-specific environmental offsets, and introducing an alternative scoring method for non-compliant tournaments.
Announcing Scioly.org’s Commitment to Becoming 100% Carbon Neutral by the End of the Season
April 1, 2025
Scioly.org today is announcing its commitment to achieving 100% carbon neutrality across all operations by the end of the next competition season. By rethinking how tournaments operate, optimizing energy usage, and enforcing new sustainability standards, Scioly.org is leading the way toward a greener future for STEM competitions.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Test writing remains one of the most labor-intensive aspects of running a Science Olympiad tournament. Each test requires countless hours to craft and grade, and with over 20 events across both divisions needing exams, this process places a significant demand on both human and environmental resources. To support the growing number of tournaments, Scioly.org is introducing a more sustainable approach—reusable tests. Effective immediately, all tournaments will be expected to streamline operations by exclusively reusing tests from the Test Exchange. These tried-and-tested exams offer a familiar experience for competitors while significantly minimizing environmental impact.
Reducing Energy Consumption
Scioly.org reaches over 400,000 users each year, and our online chat community is home to over 10,000 babblers, creating a significant environmental impact in terms of energy consumption. (Which, of course, our servers can totally handle!) To reduce this environmental footprint, Scioly.org is introducing new efficiency measures. A nightly curfew for both the website and Discord server will ensure responsible energy usage, while a dynamic slow mode will automatically adjust during peak activity to discourage excessive engagement and conserve server resources. This initiative not only reduces digital energy consumption but also helps curb emissions from heated conversations.
Shifting to Solar Energy
As part of its transition to renewable energy, Scioly.org is embracing solar power as the foundation of its sustainability efforts. To maximize the impact of this initiative, all users will be required to switch to light mode on Discord. By optimizing screen output to enhance recycled energy, Scioly.org ensures that every hour spent on Discord—if not time well spent—is at least environmentally responsible.
Offsetting Environmental Impact of Events
Competitors and tournament organizers will now take an active role in reducing the ecological footprint of their events. Through new sustainability measures, each event will contribute to a greener future:
- Experimental Design and binder events will require participants to plant trees in proportion to their paper usage.
- Tower competitors must specifically plant balsa trees to replace the materials used in their structures.
- Scrambler participants will be encouraged to bring a hen to help sustain egg supplies.
- Wind Power competitors, as pioneers of renewable energy, will receive an exemption.
- Launching a satellite into space to enhance network connectivity will now be a prerequisite for establishing a new Satellite tournament.
Sustainability-First Tournament Compliance
To ensure on-schedule progress toward our carbon-neutral goal, tournaments unable to support these sustainability initiatives will no longer be sanctioned. Instead, rankings for these tournaments will be automatically generated by SentientTree's computerized rankings.
Scioly.org is committed to fostering innovation and scientific excellence while also prioritizing environmental responsibility. These changes will help the Science Olympiad community continue advancing knowledge while reducing its environmental impact for future generations of competitors.
(This announcement was prepared with approximately 1,200 milliliters of water.)
