The Stream
Easter Egg Hunting on the Web
As we approach Easter weekend, I'm sure many of you are anticipating the excitement of hiding and finding Easter eggs. But in addition to the treat-filled plastic eggs scattered across your lawn, there is another kind of "Easter egg". One that developers bury in the code of many popular websites you visit everyday, waiting for you to discover them.
According to Wikipedia:
In computer software and media, an Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, hidden message or image, or secret feature of a work. It is usually found in a computer program, video game, or DVD/Blu-ray Disc menu screen. The name is used to evoke the idea of a traditional Easter egg hunt.
Sounds fun, huh? Here are a couple to get you started on your hunt.
- Visit Google and search for the phrase 'do a barrel roll'. What happens? If the page performs a barrel roll, you've found your first Easter egg.
- While you're there, and if you enjoy a good cat's game, do another search for 'tic tac toe'. Who won?
Why do developers spend their time hiding these digital goodies? For the fun of it of course! This occasional distraction - the writing of code for fun - makes the job of writing code for work much more enjoyable.
Now that you've found a couple of gimmes. Here are hints for two more.
- Open the Chrome browser while your internet connection isn't working, and figure out how to play the dinosaur game.
- Visit our website and find ours on the home page.
Happy Hunting!
