Expect the Unexpected

 

A small task before you continue reading: Head to Google and search for the following:

- do a barrel roll
- tilt
- askew
- google gravity (click I’m Feeling Lucky), then continue to search for different items

Only a few of many, I’m sure.

There is also the Google Maps ‘Easter Egg’ where by you Get Directions from New York to Tokyo and step 38 tells you to “Kayak across thePacific Ocean”.  There are many of these, but I can’t recall them all.

Now, as testers, imagine finding these ‘Easter Eggs’ in software.  I’m sure the above are well known by most members of the product development team and actually drive traffic to the product, so you would class these as good ‘Easter Eggs’.  I’m actually compelled to use this product more now that I know there is a sense of humour behind its creation.  What if there was a disgruntled employee that was planning on leaving after the next major release of the product?  What if they added an ‘Easter Egg’ that caused major reputation damage in the market place?

I would be hard pressed to blame any tester for not finding such a defect… but as a tester, how would you go about trying to find such a defect? Too low risk to bother?  Most would say yes.  What if you knew this employee was going to leave under negative circumstances, and you knew they had the capability to add such an ‘Easter Egg’?  Would you bother then?  Maybe you could focus on the type of sense of humour that employee has… could be a good start, but is it justifiable time?

I definitely don’t have the answers, and I would put money on the fact that most wouldn’t.  Still a very interesting thing to think about.

Have you ever found an ‘Easter Egg’ in a product?  Willing to share the story?  Feel free to do so in the comments section below.

Until next time.

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