UNBELIEVABLE: Funny the absurd sign project - Caught on Camera

Craig, one of the admins from The Absurd Sign Project, was kind enough to answer Bored Panda's questions. He said that the main focus of the project is making people laugh.

"I think people like the humor you find with absurd signs. Others like seeing all the comments they get when they find an absurd sign," he explained what appeals to the members of the group.

"A good absurd sign is one that makes people laugh and people will remember, Craig told Bored Panda, adding that the most common mistake that signmakers make, in his experience, is "the translation into another language."

We also chatted about the role of the team running The Absurd Sign Project, as well as their plans for the future. "The admins and mods just want to keep growing the group and seeing all the signs people find," he said.

"The biggest challenge is having members agree on what should and shouldn’t be allowed to be posted. But overall the group is full of great people," Craig praised the friendly community.

"There is a lot of time that goes into managing the group. Christina and myself are very grateful that we have very dedicated mods who help a lot," he complimented his fellow admin and moderators.

At the time of writing, The Absurd Sign Project was home to nearly 103k members. This is the second iteration of the project. Facebook had banned the previous group when it had 166k members. However, the community was reestablished in 2021 and is now continuing to thrive to this very day!

The project is all about people sharing their love of authentic absurd signs, in all possible forms. “We're talking brutal spelling mistakes, contradictory statements... you know, the good stuff. So join us and let's take a look at some of the most popular posts on the group,” the team running the community shares.

Craig, one of the group’s administrators, shared a bit about the community with Bored Panda during an earlier interview as well. He explained that The Absurd Sign Project doesn’t have to deal with a problem that’s all too common in many large Facebook groups. Namely, toxic users who revel in spreading chaos and misery.

"Sometimes we have to take down a post we think Facebook won't like, but we don't get too many trolls. We have a dedicated admin and mod team who love seeing the group thrive and grow. Our most common issue is people not being happy over the posts we have to take down so we don't get shut down,” admin Craig shared with Bored Panda.

"The biggest provider of entertainment, I would say, are restaurants and supermarkets," the online community representative explained what type of content resonates the most with members of the Facebook group.

According to administrator Craig, the real reason why there are so many hilarious and absurd signs out there is people’s desire to make each other laugh, not incompetence.

"We are the biggest absurd sign group I've found and we are the original group," the admin told us. "If anyone has any absurd signs of their own and wants to share, we would love to keep growing as a community and we want to see them!"

If you love the content and feel that the community is right up your alley, go on and apply to join in. You’ll have to answer a few quick questions after sending out a request and that’s it! However, you do have to promise to follow the Facebook group’s rules.

In short, you have to follow the Golden Rule and try to not be a jerk to anyone else. Be courteous, polite, and kind. There’s zero tolerance for hate speech and bullying, promotions and spam. Meanwhile, the three things you shouldn’t discuss under any circumstances are politics, religion, and Covid-19. According to the team running the group, these topics create “unnecessary conflict.”

“We strive for an entertaining and comfortable environment,” they point out.

Meanwhile, there’s no room for signs that are photoshopped. The pics you post have to be authentic. Moreover, memes are disallowed, too. In other words, just focus on posting funny and absurd signs as they appear ‘in the wild.’

Previously, entertainment and pop culture expert Mike Sington from LA, explained to Bored Panda that no matter how much time passes and how internet trends change, one constant will be people’s love (and need) of humor. He said that humor is here to stay.

"Funny thoughts, anecdotes, and memes are popular now, and will have staying power on the internet. People often go online for escapism, and humor has always provided that. I don’t foresee that changing," the expert told us.

"If something becomes popular quickly and seems to come out of nowhere, it’s more likely to be a passing fad," Mike noted about internet trends. "Long-term trends with staying power seem to build more slowly, but at a steady pace. Be careful of jumping on the 'bandwagon' yourself, just because something is popular in the moment. That’s the scenario that’s most likely to haunt you in the future.”

Meanwhile, Professor Lisa McLendon, from the University of Kansas, told Bored Panda during an earlier interview that “clarity and brevity are essential” when making any sign… if your goal is to efficiently communicate your desired message to your intended audience.

“You only have a second or two to get your message across, so you want people to understand quickly with zero confusion," the professor said.