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Whether it’s out of complete bordom or just a need to pull a fast one on “the man”, programmers sometimes hide little things in programs called easter eggs. For example, try this in Windows XP:

1. Open Windows XP and go to Start, then run.
2. Type in or copy “telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl” without the quotations.
3. Sit back and watch the ASCII movie

I recently got an email from a friend about a funny little thing within Google Maps. It’s not exactly an easter egg but it got me thinking.

An easter egg would be a great way to generate buzz on the Internet. Plant an interesting egg within your software or website and spread the news to a few friends and message boards. I don’t think someone would make a purchase just to see an easter egg, but for a website, a demo, or trial software this might be worth trying.

In case you’re wondering what the Google Map thing is, try this:

1. Go to maps.google.com
2. Click on “get directions”
3. Type “New York” in the first box (the “from” box)
4. Type “London” in the second box (the “to” box) then get directions
5. Read step #24

Photo credit: Rakka