OK, I’ll start:
Ages ago our IBM sales people were actually spamming our company email system in an effort to sell a product called a ‘FSIOP’. This was a PC on a card that could run NetWare on an IBM AS/400 midrange system.
As a joke, I created a fake email from a fictional Compaq salesman (George T. McFly) which promoted a fake product called the ‘FUIOP’ which was an AS/400 on a card that could run in a Compaq server.
So I send this email to some other IT buddies….ha, ha, ha.
WELL, one of the IT Vice Presidents did not quite appreciate or understand that this was a joke.
He was actually calling the senior-level management at Compaq to find out more about this product (!) He also scheduled several meetings with his managers and technical people to discuss this exciting new product. (!!)
After he heard the uncontrollable giggling of the Director of Product Development from Compaq on the other end of the phone, he figured out that maybe this was not an actual product.
My boss, while laughing, said ‘It’s my duty to officially reprimand you. Certain members of IT management did not understand that your email was a joke, and were embarassed in front of their managers and technical staff’