Eddie

I've found that the best way is to explain myself like I'm 5. If somebody gives me a weird look after I give a dead pan joke, I'll stop what I'm saying and go "oh, sorry, I'm a very dead pan person and I was trying to make a joke, I guess it didn't come off that way, my mistake!"

Sure, at first it sounds weird or unnatural but I find that this has worked out better for me rather than staying quiet and blaming them for not appreciating my sense of humor.

I second this. I've tried all of the other programs that make customization changes to the taskbar and StartAllBack feels native. I forget that I'm using a third party tool until I switch to another computer and wonder why the start menu is utter garbage.

I'd rather kill a joke rather than be disrespectful. The sooner you learn this, the happier your life will be and more people will enjoy having you around.