The rickroll began around 2007 on 4chan, where users swapped links that promised one thing and delivered Astley's video instead, evolving from the earlier duckroll gag. The bait-and-switch spread to forums, emails and April Fools jokes, and in 2008 YouTube linked every featured video on its front page to the song, while Astley himself performed it live at the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. The joke endures because the switch is harmless, the song is genuinely catchy and everybody recognizes the punchline instantly.