Off-pitch crooners rejoice: the University of Windsor is not instituting a digital authentication system requiring users to sing a melodic password.

An article in yesterday’s DailyNews announcing the Musical Password System was an April Fool’s prank dreamed up by Information Technology Services with an assist from choirs master Bruce Kotowich.

“Part of me just loves the idea of people annoying each other with singing at their desks,” says Marcin Pulcer, associate vice-president, IT Services.

The hoax did net a few fish, says Alisa Giroux-Souilliere, co-ordinator of change management and communication in IT Services.

“Eleven people signed up for the melody maker vocal coaching workshop,” she says. “They all received an automated response that said ‘We hope you got a laugh this April Fool’s Day!’”

One who was fooled was Karen Momotiuk, senior development office for the Faculty of Nursing.

“I told my family about the new policy, and the guy next to me on the train, too,” she says, chagrined.

For her part, communications co-ordinator Susan McKee, an enthusiastic chorister herself, was disappointed to learn it was a prank.

“You totally got me with the musical password story!” she wrote to DailyNews. “Here I was thinking how brilliant Marcin Pulcer is!”