- Rickroll prank appeared in CBSE Class 12 Maths exam via a QR code scan
- The QR code redirected users to Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up video
- Rickrolling began in 2007 as an internet bait-and-switch prank
'Rickroll', one of the internet's oldest pranks, unexpectedly entered examination halls in India when a QR code, printed on the front page of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 Mathematics question paper, allegedly redirected users to Rick Astley's music video. It quickly went viral on social media after students on Tuesday shared videos documenting what exactly happens after scanning the QR code.
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What is Rickrolling?
Rick Astley, the British singer, became an unlikely internet sensation because of a prank linked to his song Never Gonna Give You Up. With a catchy melody and distinctive voice, the song is no doubt a hit, but it was a clever internet prank that made it popular in meme history.
The prank, called 'Rickrolling', involves tricking someone into clicking a link that unexpectedly leads to the song's video - a meme that has circulated online since the mid-2000s.
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How did Rickrolling start?
It began when a 4chan user, Shawn Cotter, uploaded the Never Gonna Give You Up music video to YouTube in 2007, disguising it as the trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV.
The link was shared on 4chan, an image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images, and the users who clicked on it were surprised to find the Astley video instead. This bait-and-switch tactic became known as rickrolling, which quickly went viral and is still very popular.
This prank spread across the internet, with users creating their own versions and remixes. Astley also acknowledged the craze and even performed at the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It's not wrong to say that Rickrolling was the biggest troll before trolling was invented, and fun too, unlike some popular memes that are vulgar and are often linked to online harassment.
Today, Never Gonna Give You Up is one of the most iconic memes in internet history, with over 1 billion views on YouTube.
CBSE's reaction to QR Code claims
In response, CBSE clarified that the examination papers were genuine and that their security had not been compromised.
However, the board acknowledged that scanning QR codes on some sets appeared to redirect users to a YouTube video and said the matter is being examined.
