EpicHacks


Hack:

A practical joke or prank meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness or commemorate popular culture and historical topics.

 


 

 

2009

Blinky Lights

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All the dorms at umass use the same type of compact flurescent light in the hallway lights. For some resason, the bulbs blink sporadicly for a few hours before they burn out completely. My brother and I collected these blinkey bulbs for 1.5 years before we had enough to illuminate an entire hallway. On the weekend of April Fools 2009 we switched out all the bulbs at once, and hilarity ensued. 

 

2009

Hujr al-Murar University

Background

As graduating seniors, a number of my friends were applying to engineering grad schools across the country. Around April 1 2009 most of these guys were making their final decisions and receiving final offers. Additionally, as of 2009 a newly formed university in Saudi Arabia was actively recruiting engineers (with offers of large stipends) for graduate studies. Naturally we all though it would be hilarious if someone were actually offered admittance to such a university. To mess with my friends, a komerade and I fabricated a fake university and sent out acceptance letters. Here is what they got:

 

Each of my friends received an "official" letter of acceptance from the graduate admissions office of Hujr al-Murar University.

Fake return address information.

 

 

Fake Saudi stamps and postmarks.

 

 

The letter had fake customs processing information on the back.

 

 

The envelope contained:

An offical letter of acceptance signed by the dean of admissions. university_acceptanceGMS.pdf

An additional information pamphlet discussing some attractions at the university.recruit.pdf

 

The letter directed accepted students to call a fake phone number (which redirected to an Aribic answering machine).

Additionally a website was provided: http://hmu.servehttp.com (reproduced in screenshots here).

 

Everything came together really well. After determining that the school didnt exist, my friends eventually suspected that I had something to do with the hack.

 

 

2007

Snow Day Football

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2006

AprilFoolsNewspaper