The April Fools joke that might have got me fired

a year ago

The author's first job was as a database programmer at a university, despite having no formal computer education.
They worked on an HP 9000 K250 server running HP/UX 10.20 and Informix, managing a student information system called CARS.
CARS handled administrative tasks, financials, and later web applications using Perl.
The university's printers, mostly HP LaserJet 4s, had customizable READY messages.
On April Fools' Day, the author changed all printers' READY messages to 'INSERT 5 CENTS' and sent a fake policy email about pay-per-page printing.
The prank caused chaos, with some people finding it funny while others complained to university administration.
The author had to retract the prank early and faced repercussions, including a 'poor judgment' note on their performance review.
Despite the fallout, the prank became legendary on campus.
The story concludes with a reference to another university prank involving PostScript flaws and fingerprints.

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