Tomorrow is the first day of April.  Maybe you should start preparing today, whether you are a sender or receiver of practical jokes or pranks.  On April Fool’s Day for the last several years, How Stuff Works has placed an article about how some incredulous product of new technology functions.

Last year, for example, the Twapler was featured.  The Twapler is a stapler that automatically sends a message via Bluetooth or WiFi to a Twitter feed detailing exactly what you’re stapling at any given moment.  That’s pretty much in keeping with a lot of social messages that I have heard about!  Yes, it is a hoax.

However, the concept of “notification” is not as bizarre as some topics that are expected to surface tomorrow.  In Project Communications Management, the idea of “pushing” a message or notification has a lot of merit.  Alerting your project team members or sponsor to information inquiries or updated details about the project may be important to trigger timely responses.  You may not have a Twapler on your desk, but you may have access to some other tools to facilitate your project.

Collaboration tools may be appropriate for your project.  Such a tool can provide a filing system, archival repository, a discussion board, file version control, task lists, calendars, announcement boards, and email notification to members of changes or additions to the collaboration site.  Groupware tools, such as eRoom, TeamRoom, or SharePoint to name a few, might be implemented as project management information systems on projects.  Take a look at what tool your organization may already have in place – the right technology may be a true benefit to your project management practices!

And, oh, in closing, this is NOT a hoax!  But have a fun day tomorrow separating fact from fiction!