Microsoft: Over the next three years, Microsoft will add 14 buildings and a total of 3.1 million square feet (288,000 square meters) to its corporate campus in Redmond, Wash., enough to provide office space for approximately 12,000 people. Seven of the buildings will be new construction; the other seven are existing buildings that Microsoft recently purchased.

And so another practical joke source dies...

For years on end - translation: since 1985 - some new employees have been pranked into looking for a Building 7 on the main Microsoft campus. Shortly after the new orientation, some new co-working would say "oh, you have a meeting with the Boss in Buildin 7" only to find out that there is no Building 7. Buildings 1-4 were the first; I'm pretty sure that 5 and 6 were started before 1-4 were even settled into. 8, 9, and 10 followed, with a courtyard and fountain. After that, the campus growth darted in different directions, but no one ever got around to naming a building "Seven".

In Microserfs, Douglas Coupland plops Danielu and his team into Building 7. Other people are convinced that there really was a Building 7 and it was really well hidden [and used for secret meetings!] I dunno when the building will be built or what group will get in on it first, but it's a pretty safe bet that it'll start soon. In fact, I'm hoping they build that G7 parking garage first: parking is really bad near the original buildings...

And if you've ever wanted to play the Building 7 prank on a new employee hire someone quickly - I'd hate to see a new 'softie get stuck in the mud around a construction site!