Microsoft’s New Memo Bans April Fool’s Jokes

Microsoft has been trying to change the way it does business over the course of the past few years. The new focus on business development and maximizing efficiency in the workplace could very well do wonders for the brand and allow it to produce much better products and services, but most people don’t quite know what Microsoft’s somewhat renewed focus truly means for the platform at large.

It seems like Microsoft’s commitment to top notch work ethic is coming at the expense of some good natured fun. Many tech companies goof around on April Fool’s day by adding jokes to their products and services. Google in particular is known to crack some witty humor in this regard, and while most people tend to think that these jokes are harmless and tend to actually give a company some good press, it seems like the chief of marketing at Microsoft, Chris Capossela, has stated that this is not the case. According to a memo from the chief of marketing that was distributed to Microsoft employees, April Fool’s jokes could potentially lead to bad press, and are overall a waste of time which is why employees shouldn’t focus on them and should instead focus on certain previously assigned tasks.

Some would say that this memo is a buzzkill, others would say that it is a good sign that shows that Microsoft is improving in the future. Whatever the case may be, it seems like the Microsoft offices just became a slightly less fun place to work.


Photo: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

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