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Okay, forget the easter eggs

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Haven't yet seen one person in favor of easter eggs, and in fact Tom points out that Microsoft's own book on security best practices proscribes avoiding easter eggs.  So I'm willing to be swayed by the masses (or at least the few of you who posted comments or blogs ;) that easter eggs should stay gone.  None the less, a few parting thoughts:

1) even those who oppose easter eggs said they remember fondly the Excel 3D game easter eggs

2) Is there any other feature of Excel that anyone remembers fondly?  I wonder if people ever reminisce about the great look of the menu bar in Excel 97, or the lovely properties dialog in Word 95.  Easter eggs, even if they are nothing more than a creative way to put your name in lights, do bring some character to apps and put a bit of a human face on software.  User benefit? Nil.  Unless you liked playing the 3D game ;)

3) I think it's great if a programmer feels sufficiently proud of her work to want to assoicate her name with it forever (the Mac signature thing is a striking example of this, to me.)

So, RIP, easter eggs.  What we've gained in app stability and rigid engineering process (which, admittedly, benefits users and sells software,) we've lost in fun and character (which admittedly does neither).

Comments

  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2004
    The Excel game was cool, I suppose, but I preferred the eggs from the Trident team.
  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2004
    I'm a fan of easter eggs... only because I get a kick out of seeing my name in them. No more, though, shucks.
  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2004
    I guess since you are a suporter of rogue code in applications and you are on the Exchange product, its going to be a Lemon :D

  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2004
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2004
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2004
    Do we the customers WANT this? Obviously you dont take us seriously enough. Maybe we should shop elsewhere. Where is your food comeing from again?
  • Anonymous
    February 24, 2004
    Obviously you don't represent all the customers. As there are folks who appreciate them... You really don't like arguments, do you? Only treaths.
  • Anonymous
    February 24, 2004
    Sorry about this but...

    "proscribes avoiding" is a double negative which implies that MS actively encourage Easter Eggs.

    I think you meant "prescribes avoiding".

    Sorry sorry sorry. I couldn't let it pass though ;)
  • Anonymous
    April 17, 2004
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    June 29, 2004
    Easter Eggs rock... I look for them in just about every program, if I don't seem them, I just pop on to google or msn and search for where they are at!

    Rouge code? hog wash!! its usually a graphic... sheesh
  • Anonymous
    July 01, 2004
    Easter Eggs Are harmless fun and should not of been removed, They are not 'rogue' code as one geek trys to make out.. and what's this about...... "OMG lets check for other supprises, who knows what malicous intend was there. Its called TRUST. YACK YACK BLAH "trustworthy computing" BLAH BLAH "Microsoft is good" BLAH BLAH.. "

    If you don't like MS, then Fk off and use someone else's products.. Trust.... and while we're talking about un-documented code... since when do MS document ANY of their code, i wish i could get my hands on the source code for every other function in MS products, which from your post, it appears you can.....

    As usual this is a case of computer geeks not having a f    kin life or a sense of humour.

    Cheerio

    Ian
  • Anonymous
    July 29, 2004
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    May 18, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    June 02, 2008
    Short answer, yes. Do a search for 'easter eggs' by me, Manip in the coffeehouse.