Messages posted by parag28289

some months back even india.today had come up with a wrong survey

yeah man i dont agree with this! ye magazine walle piase banae ke liye aise tarkeebein nikalte hai.
idea of ranking tech schools was good but bad implementation.

IITChalo Strategy

TECHNIQUES OF TEST TAKING:
Perhaps the most important requirements for success in these tests is getting to know the right technique for attacking them.. FoIlowing are the three most important points which everyone who wants to excel in an objective test has to remember.

Almighty Instructions :
Regard these tests as the tests of your capacity to follow instructions. When there are several sections in the test each one of them will have different instructions the misreading of which is bound to result in disaster. The wording of each individual question is important.Just consider what would happen if you overlook the word EXCEPT in a question .This appears to be too elementary a precaution to be stressed. Yet you would be surprised to know that a large number of students misread instructions and the questions too. See the following example of a question which an able chemistry student might choose a wrong answer because of misunderstanding some terms in the question.
Alpha particle emission with long half-lives is a property peculiar to (a) compounds (b) hererogenous matter (c) the heavier elements (d) the lighter elements Those who take the term 'peculiar to' to mean strange or unusual will, if they know their chemistry, choose answer (d) which is wrong. Knowing less chemistry but understanding the term 'peculiar to', in the right light (found only in), they might choose (c) the right answer.

lntelligent Selection of Items :
Let us consider one more aspect of these tests which accounts for a large scale massacre of unwary test-takers. Often there are parts of tests, mostly either in the beginning or at the end, where the test setter seeks to manipulate you psychologically. One of the familiar tricks seeking to' unsettle the test-takers is to give an impossible number of questions and about 1/4 of the time even a genius would require if he is to solve all the questions given. What does an intelligent test-taker do when confronted with such a state of affairs? The first thing he does is to keep his calm and then to make a quick calculation to find out how much of the total time is allow for the section, he could afford to spend on each problem. Then he moves swiftly through the questions spending exactly the amount of time he has decided to spend on each of them and no more. He doesn't waste his time on questions which seem too difficult, vague or confusing to him. Marking in the margin, so that he could come back to such questions, he goes ahead at his top pace. It is indeed a very incept test taker who wastes time on questions which he cannot solve. By doing this he loses the opportunity of solving further questions in the section which may be easy for all one knows. Frequently, this frustration with the first section chases him on so that he messes up the whole test.
Sometimes such a difficult section is reserved for the end of the test , when the majority of test-takers are slogging under mental fatigue. In either case, you would do well to remember that a really good test is so set that it is impossible for one to complete it. At the same time it requires you to keep working at your top pace strivinq your utmost to be accurate till the end . And no hard feelings against the test-setters. After all their objective is to identify young people who are capable of sound commonsense, and who do not give in easily.

Should one guess?
In most objective tests, for every wrong answer, the test taker loses 1/4 of a point he has scored on his right answers. However, for tackling items that you partly know, you cannot do without guessing intelligently. The art of intelligent guessing which you have to master consists first of eliminating the obviously wrong alternatives and of narrowing down your choice, so that you increase your chances of hitting the right answer.
Knowledge is the prime requisite, but it seems, no one can have an over abundance of it. Whatever, one has learnt, one tends to forget with the passage of-time. The result is, at a given time, there exist in our thinking process, areas of uncertainty varying from partial understanding to total ignorance of facts. What do we do when confronted with one of these? Guess, of course.
Intelligent guessing is possible and according to the irrepressible Mr. Huff, goes to prove the efficacy of guessing theory in action. Consider the question: The burning of petrol in an automobile cylinder involves all of the following except:(a) reduction(b) decomposition(c) an exothermic reaction(d) oxidation(e) conversion of matter to energy. If you know quite a bit of chemistry, you will have no trouble marking the right choice. But what if you don't know any of those terms there? Skip all the first four (a) (b) (c) (d) and concentrate on the last one. To begin with, it is somewhat longer than others and has no difficult technical terms. A suspicious fact in itself. Some more concentration will tell you that it describes a nuclear reaction. Since Henry Ford started earlier than Albert Einstien, we had automobiles long before the atom bomb. Therefore (e) must be the thing that doesn't happen in a car engine.
Wild guessing can be risky, but cultivating the habit of guessing intelligently is the only alternative to total surrender. So guessing -- guessing intelligently is your bounden duty. The moment you accept this, the question whether the test has negative marking or not will cease bothering you.

PREPARING FOR THE TEST -- THE PRE-REOUISITES:
Three years of studying in classes and by correspondence, has given us a fair idea about the makings of a successful test taker. It is on the basis of our discussions with our friends, that we would venture to offer the following professional advice.

SHOULD YOU TRAIN YOURSELF FOR THE TEST? :
First of all, let us discuss whether at all, one should train oneself for the test. Since most of these tests are aptitude tests, there is some controversy over the question whether people can improve their test performance by means of training. Should one train oneself for the tests? The answer appears to be a clear 'yes' except for the views of some people who contend that training can never improve one's aptitude, and hence, one's test score. The Educational Testing Service, which held to this view for long, appears to have altered its stand. In a recent statement they confess, "It is quite possibie that sometimes some students may have added some points to their score", by undergoing training. Some statement, this!
The fact is, concerted effort does lead to improvement in test scores, sometimes dramatically. Among the students we have seen, almost about 80 percent start at a low test score. After about 3 months of studying, a majority of these students easily cross the upper mark , on a test of the difficulty level as the one they had taken earlier.
You would do well not to believe in the nonsense that the test measures your aptitude and that the alleged aptitude cannot be improved. It amounts to believing that mathematics can't be learned and that you cannot even put your grammar right. This is simply bad logic. A test measures the aptitude level which you are at.
It pays to be test conscious. One is rarely equally good in all test areas. Students with a strong quantitative background are often weak in chemistry.The point of training should be to prepare yourself so well in your strong areas that you do not lose a single point there; in your weak areas you have to work the hardest to gain as many points as possible. Constant practice is important. Working by fits and starts is a wasteful way of preparing for these tests.

CAN 'APTITUDE' IMPROVE? :
Beyond a certain point, perhaps a person's aptitude cannot improve, but in competitive tests, such as these, the practice you put in, does count beyond a shadow of doubt. All our friends agree that the practising helped them to improve their performance by 20 and 30 percent. This is a good lot at a test where 2,000,000 compete for about 3000 seats . By the way, don't be scared of those thousands taking the test. To our reckoning, for well prepared test taker, there are approximately 50 innocent students going through the motions of taking a test, the A,B,C of which they don't know. Exaggerations apart, it is a fact that surprisingly few students show test-consciousness; or determinedly prepare themselves to be test-wise. We want you to be as test-conscious as possible.
A SENSIBLE STRATEGY:
Make a sensible action plan and follow it scrupulously. From what you have read note already, it would be easy for you to guess realistically, in what areas you would need to put in extra effort. If those areas happen to be mathematical, start off now with the lOth, llth, 12th standard books on the subjects and revise your basics.
A CERTAIN DETERMINATION:
Be determined. This should be easy enough for you to understand but the fact is, unless you consciously cultivate that drive and that push, you won't make it. The test will demand the best in you, so sharpen your abilities to the keenest point and attain the maximum speed you can work at. A luke-warm attitude just won't do.
These tests are not for those who tend to take things easy. Success in them depends on a concerted effort to discipline oneself, a will to work in an orderly manner for over a period of time, to develop what sports writers call one's "killer instinct'; and a passion to win. Assuming that you have the determination and some potential, your effort should be directed towards making yourself a ready, confident, no-nonsense test-taker.

STRATEGIES

OBJECTIVE

Here we will focus upon various strategies that will help you in a real manner .We would also like to state that most of us just 'enjoy' reading these type of strategies but there are very few who make 'CONSCIOUS EFFORTS' towards implementing them, so if you just read and forget these then there is no use of it. It is our unrest request to you, please read them many a times in your preparation period, there are periods in ones academic life when he feels a little low ,then reading these type of strategy 'recharges' you.

JEE Misconceptions
I think the biggest misconception about IIT-JEE is that by solving many questions and studying all the books available in the milky way galaxy, one would be able to perform at its peak performance when the JEE exams begins. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Strategy or The-Game-Plan
JEE is a game of strategy, infact any examination for that matter is a game of strategy. So one needs to setup his strategy before doing anything. Setting up a strategy is not as simple as its sounds; it takes much iteration before we get into the groove. And once we have a strategy or the "game-plan" ready, then we can work at near to peak performance.
The Perfect Strategy
Mind my words "near to peak performance" in the Para above. Taking an example from physics - zero degree kelvin is a temperature (-273 degree centigrade - the absolute zero) , which can never be reached exactly, however you can reach as close as possible.

So why did I took such a diversion to Physics, was it my mood-swing :). Well the point is that there is no perfect strategy so one should choose at least one strategy and that too which should be close to his sense of perfect strategy.
Looking back at the paragraphs I can see that I have already overused the word "strategy" (oh gosh another one). Its time for me to talk about what can be "its? benefit:
1. A good strategy: capitalizes on your perceived strengths
2. A good strategy: looks into how to work on your weaknesses
3. A good strategy: enables one to prepare in a balanced way
4. A good strategy: suggests how to NOT do some things

i hope u will find all these the articles very usefull................................rreading all three might take 15 minutes but implemnting it may increase ur rank by 150

IITChalo Strategy

Any good IIT-JEE like problem , when analyzed contains basically of three parts

1. Catchwords
2. Guessing simple Concept
3. Links
One good problem is linked with many simple concepts .This mix gives us is, an tricky looking question.Your first effort should be, to read(mark the catchwords) and somehow break the question so that you can identify(better word would be 'guess') the simple concepts involved .For identifying simple concepts, one must resort to drawing small diagrams of the problems and then a careful thought procedure should follow.Once you have identified the simpler concepts involved in it, then goto stage number two that is linking the concepts.Now this linking stage is where your earlier efforts and mental level come to the fore, in this area of linking no one can help you
except, you, yourself.In linking you use result of one portion and apply it to solve another.We will illustrate all these stages with an example:

IRODOV 1.241A uniform disc of radius R=20cm has a round cut as shown in the figure .The mass of the remaining portion of the disc equals m = 7.3kg.Find the moment of inertia of such a disc relative to the axis passing through its centre of inertia and perpendicular to the plane of the disc.

SOLUTION
JEE APPROACH: Remember, our aim is to show you method of attacking a problem by the above analysis, hence we will give an essay type description.

1. identifying catchwords:
1.1. 'uniform disc' , 'round cut?,? passing through centre of inertia'....

2. Guessing simple concepts:
                         2.1. ?Uniform disc '=> AREA proportional to MASS
                         2.2. 'round cut'=> area removed=> proportional mass removed. Leads to depletion of Moment of inertia.....also center of gravity of remaining disc will not be the at the same position as of full disc.
                         2.3. ' passing through the centre of inertia'=>maybe parallel axis theorem ....!!!!???

3.linking and solving the problem:
Remember ,practice makes you a 'better linker?. What you get by solving good number of problem is EXPOSURE which makes you a better linker. Back to the problem...

Taking clue from 2.1, suppose you had the full disc , if we remove the portion then the area removed is pi*(R/2)^2 => mass removed
=>(M/(pi*R^2))*pi*(R/2)^2=M/4.Mass of remaining portion is,m = M-M/4=3M/4

Taking clue from 2.2, we have removed a disc of radius R/2 from the orignal disc , so if we remove contribution to moment of inertia of that disc from full disc we will get the moment of inertia of the remaining

Next we try to find the center of gravity(CG) of the remaining portion .The CG of small disc is at the center of the small disc and that of full disc is at the center of full disc(our origin)....full disc=small disc + remaining portion!!! .So CG of small disc*its mass + CG of remaining portion*its mass = CG of full disc*total mass(equalising the mass moments) gives: (R/2)*(M/4) + (3M/4)*Xcm=M*0 => Xcm= - R/6

Taking clue from 2.3, moment of inertia(MI) of removed disc about ITS OWN CENTER is [(M/4)*(R/2)^2]/2 , and about the CG of remaining portion is [(M/4)*(R/2)^2]/2 +[(M/4)*(R/2 -Xcm)^2](parallel axis thm) =41(MR^2)/288
MI of full disc about CG of remaining disc is [M*R^2]/2 + [M*(0 -Xcm)^2]=19(MR^2)/36
=> MI of remaining disc = MI of full disc - MI of removed(small) disc=37(MR^2)/96=37(mR^2)/72 Ans.

try to see the' linking' carefully ,see how results of 2.1 is used in 2.2 and then in 2.3 to arrive at the solution.

In future, try to proceed by the above procedure and you will be able to win over lots of problem!!!!

IITChalo Strategy

Why good strategy?

It helps you to transfrom your hard work into proper results

It increases your efficiency.

It keeps you out of trouble,"just before the exams".

It helps you in making correct decisions.

If you know these points then it will improve your performance

If there is no negative marking then you should first try to do as many problems as you can ,use wise guesses ,wherever possible .For blind guesses fix a particular option e.g.you can choose (b) as your choice ,but then mark (b) for all of your blind guesses (those good in probability might have understood the reason for that).
In Physics , Chemistry and Maths , identify beforehand the portion you are good at and then in the paper search those objective problem which belong to your area of strength.There is no reason ,why in a paper of say 100 question you should start with question number 1 and then move step wise to hundred , try to find the questions you can do and crack them.
The method we suggest is that ,start with looking at question paper .Generally the questions from related topics are flocked together in a group, identify your group and give it a try first.BUT dont waste time looking for that type of group if you can find them quickly.
During your exam ,do keep in mind that JEE is not like your board exams here you are not expected to score too high , so dont challenge yourself into solving whole of the paper secularily, do those sections which you are good at .There are few trap questions which are basically made to be left .The game is to 'search the right question' and then 'solve',but most of us simply 'solve' without 'searching the right question'.So ,do include the searching the right question.
Also do keep reminding yourself that obvious looking answers are generally not right.
"Second Round Effect"--When you revisit a question , which you could not solve in your earlier efforts , you are able to solve it. The reason for this is that when you solve other questions in the first round , lots of other concept gets and your brain is in fighting back spirit (due to the success over other questions) also as time passes you get a little relaxed hence your brain is able to operate with more efficiency. So if during the exam if you are not able to solve a particular question in one go then please don?t get bogged down by it, have faith on our "second round effort" and you will see the miracles yourself.
Make some identification mark on the questions, which you want to give a second try. I used to make '*' on them.
Many a times, but not always, 'none of these' and 'all of these' option is correct.
In the paper where there is a mix of multiple choice and single choice question, you should go in for doing single choice first.
It is utmost important to have a high correct strike rate, because MCQ consumes more time and effort so by making a single wrong choice you will lose whole of the question and time , never rush in MCQ's even if some MCQ are left untried(BUT NOT UNSEEN) .The policy for MCQ should be "DO LESS BUT ACCURATELY".

It is not the famous "hall effect" of physics that we are going to talk about.We are going to talk about how the examination day itself effects you examination performance.So you are thinking ,"what the hell examination hall has to do with our JEE exams??, well then to answer you , it can make you spoil your paper or it can help to accelerate your efficiency and hence your performance.
Last few weeks and of course the examination day and the night before has a determining effect on your JEE performance. This analysis focusses upon various factors that effect your performance on the examination day.Read the given description carefully ,it contains 7 blunders which one commits on the examination day, try to spot them.
Its the day of your exam you wake up in the morning and reach for your notes to revise a few points quickly. There is lot of activity seen at your home , your parents are looking as much concerned as you .You can very well hear your heart beating and you are in a very serious and no-nonsense mood. Your are keeping a note of your examination time .Now you are ready and your mother comes and puts a 'teekaa' on your forehead , she says "son this is a very decisive day of your life may god help you", your touch the feet of your parents......"Now my brave soldier you are ready for the fight" the situation implies.

The first center from where you start getting pressure is your own family. Don't let the pressure of expectation from your people, build upon you .If you will be treated as a brave soldier going for his fight then there will be a lots of pressure upon you. Ask your parents (while fully caring for there but natural feelings) not to make you feel as if you are going some very big event because that makes you conscious and puts a lots of pressure on you , since they have love and care for you they will surely understand it. Also ask them clearly , not to ask you "how are your papers going?","How did you perform" etc. till all the papers are finished.

COMMANDMENT#1 MAKES SURE THAT YOU DO NOT PICK UP PRESSURE FROM YOU HOME

You pick up your conveyance and start to move towards the examination hall.In the way you are worried about your performance ,"How will the paper be?","Will i be able to solve adequate problems","i could have studied more..","Its THE EXAM of my life...what if i am not able to do up to the mark?"..all these are coming to your mind

Don't bother yourself with things that you can control ,like,"How will the paper be?","Will I be able to solve the problems?".Remember , you don't have infinite source of energy ,lets say you have 100 units of useful mental energy on the day of your examination ,now if you worry about things you have the least control you loose say 20 units so you have just 80 units left for the paper .The other guy with same mental capacity as you and who stays away from these useless thinking will have 100 units for his paper , don't you think he will perform better.

COMMANDMENT#2 YOUR USEFUL MENTAL ENERGY IS FINITE , SO CONSERVE IT!

Finally , from a distance you are able to see your "battle field", you can see the board of the examination centre "BNSD Vidya Niketan", your pulse rate accelerates.Outside the centre you see lots of parent and aspirants moving here and there(total brownian motion!!),some are moving inside , some coming out , some touching the feet of there parents and parents wishing them best of luck.Everybody has his own "Astra" in there hands.There is this guy in blue jeans , he is sitting and looking at his notes ,you are inspired and you also start thinking about looking at few formulas.Meanwhile you see Rajesh , who is there in your coaching , you start to talk with him.

The third center of pressure is when you reach the examination center .You should not try to observe other people too much,try not to talk to your friends,sounds uncourteous!, but still don't talk. The reason for this is that at that time you are in a "unstable state" ,even a little "perturbation" can cost your performance,so policy of isolation is best for you.

COMMANDMENT#3 KEEP YOURSELF IN A WATERTIGHT COMPARTMENT.

There are lots of guys ,crowding that area.You go there and find that room allocation is displayed , your room number is 7A.You enter the room, there are few guys in the room.You search for your seat and then do a quick inspections of it to see whether everything is fine or not.Now you sit down and try to make yourself comfortable.
After a while two serious looking invigilators come into the room , one is holding answersheets and other is holding a brown packet that contains your question paper.Your heartbeat again increased due to the realization that the papers have finally arrived.You stare at the packet , wondering what type of paper might be inside?.You are given the answer sheet with the instruction to write your name on it.

The fourth time where you get useless pressure is on the arrival of the invigilators .Dont look at them or the there activities.Close you eyes and relax.We advice you to rehearse all these events much before the exam day ,in your mind ,that will help in making you feel easy on the exam day.
COMMANDEMENT#4 REHEARSE EXAM DAY EVENTS IN YOUR MIND BEFORE THE EXAM DAY.

Finally , you hear the grand bell ring, with every ring you get a very strange feeling in your heart and stomach.Invigilator starts to distribute the paper and you are waiting for your turn to get it.You strart attempting the paper.You looked at the seat where Swami(an intelligent boy of your coaching) is sitting , you saw that he has already started attempting the paper while you are just trying to find out which question to solve.Now you have finally started attempting the paper.Time passes and finally ends

Once paper is given to you,you should concentrate on the paper. Don't try to look what others are doing because 99% of times you will harm yourself by looking here and there.
COMMANDMENT#5 CONCENTRATE ON THE PAPER.

After submitting your paper you rush quickly for your pencil box and writing board.You have next paper after a break of 1.5 hours.As you move out of the room you see a lot of commotion.You see guys discussing about the paper, you overhear there talks..."yaar paper was easy compared to last year ....cutoff will be a little higher" , "hey what was the correct answer of that Uranium 238 problem...i think it was option c..what do you say","most of the questions in maths came from XYZ's book"etc. etc..You are also very anxious to know how Swami and Rajesh performed in the paper so you go and discuss the paper.

We can bet anything on this !!.You will find at least one guy if not many , who will claim that "paper was easy...cutoff will be high" or "xyz question came ditto from pqr's book","I could solve only 70 out of 90 ,will it be sufficient".Actually most of the guys who say these types of thing have low confidence on there performance and hence to get a momentary "high" by speaking these type of thing , they are only attraction gatherers.Since you don't know this dirty game of these importers you start to believe them and put yourself on pressure once again.If there is a paper to follow you performance will surely depreciate.
COMMANDEMENT#6 DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT OTHERS ARE TALKING AFTER THE EXAMS...KEEP YOUR EARS CLOSED ..IF NEED BE USE A EARPLUG!

After discussing the paper for about fifteen minutes you come back and have some snacks while you plan to revise a few points for the paper after an hour.You revised till it was time for your next paper.You proceed towards your exam room once again....

If you get break between two papers you should not waste it by discussing the previous paper , you should take time out to rest for a while.

COMMANDMENT#7 DON'T DISCUSS THE PAPER IF YOUR EXAMS ARE STILL ON ,IF POSSIBLE TRY TO REST IN THE BREAK.

I gave this long discription to bring you closer to the feelings and activities of your examination day.There are seven blunders committed by "you" in the above given passage

always remember while taking down the mock tests the above points..........
and give ur best on that day

visit these sites ;100% helpful

http://www.ochem4free.info/page.php?54

http://www.organic-chemistry.org/namedreactions/

http://www.chemhelper.com/

I saw somebody posting topic about software secret . these are actually the signatures of the software writer since the software gets popularised under name of company.

these two links will give u more info abt software secrets ,tips and tricks

also read the article i have posted "easter eggs"

http://www.eeggs.com/

http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/

What is an "Easter Egg"?

In the context of software (get that Cadbury Bunny out of your head!), an Easter Egg is a hidden feature or novelty that the programmers have put in their software. In general, it is any hidden, entertaining thing that a creator hides in their creation only for their own personal reasons. This can be anything from a hidden list of the developers, to hidden commands, to jokes, to funny animations. You'd be surprised just how many things contain Easter Eggs... just look at the list that has accumulated here!

A true Easter Egg must satisfy the following criteria:

Undocumented, Hidden, and Non-Obvious
An Easter Egg can't be a legitimate feature of a product, or be an obvious part of a storyline. Easter Eggs will usually stand out either because they totally don't fit with their context (like a pinball game in a word processor), or because they have a deeper hidden personal meaning to the creators, so they threw it in for entertainment.
Reproducible
Every user with the same product or combination of products must be able to produce the same result given the instructions. If others can't reproduce an Egg, then it doesn't belong in this archive.
Put There by the Creators for Personal Reasons
The Egg must have been put there on purpose, and furthermore have a personal significance to the creators beyond just making a better product (movie, TV show, software program, etc).
Not Malicious
Easter Eggs are there for fun, not to do damage.
ENTERTAINING!
The most important element... if it's not there for entertainment, it's not an Egg.

Now that you have the idea of what an Egg is supposed to be, it might be easier to narrow things down by listing some types of hidden, entertaining things that would NOT be considered Easter Eggs.

It isn't really hidden. In a movie, for example, obvious references to other movies aren't Easter Eggs, even if some people don't pick up on the references. This includes references that would be considered "obvious" to any fan of the series or genre, but not to others.
It isn't something personal to the creator(s). Corporate logos and references to other famous people are in tons of things and aren't Eggs. Eggs have to have that "personal touch".
It was accidental. Eggs are there on purpose. Accidents belong on www.slipups.com.
It is symbolism, foreshadowing, or any other literary technique like this. Storytellers use these all the time to tell a good story, and they certainly don't count as Eggs.
It fits in with the context of the work in question. For example, creative and obscure references to other shows and famous people is standard for shows like "The Simpsons" and "South Park", so these can't be considered Eggs given their context. Eggs stand out as being different from their surroundings.
It is a plot inconsistency, or just some wierdness you can't explain. These may or may not be real Eggs, but without knowing good reasons for WHY they are there they can't be considered Eggs.
It is interesting background information, but doesn't stand out in the work in question at all. For example, an ad-libbed scene and how it happened might be great trivia, but it isn't an Egg.

Sometimes examples speak louder than rules. Here are some examples of genuine, indisputable Easter Eggs, and you should use them to guide your gut feeling about what is or isn't a true Easter Egg.

A Flight Simulator and Credits in Microsoft Excel$
A Pinball Game in Microsoft Word 97
George Lucas Reference to his First Movie
Al Hirschfield's Daughter's Name in Every Pictur$
Weird Al Yankovic and the Number 27

Can Easter Eggs be harmful?

By definition, Easter Eggs are intended to be entertaining and harmless. If someone hid some destructive code in a piece of software, that would be considered a "virus", or a "trojan horse", and certainly not an Easter Egg.

However, an Easter Egg might be accidentally harmful. For example, maybe there was a bug in the programmer's Easter Egg code, and in certain situations it might crash the program, or even the whole computer, forcing you to reboot. I should note that I am not aware of ANY Easter Egg that has caused any harm like this, but I certainly admit the possibility, especially since Easter Eggs don't go through the normal testing process.

Why do people hide Easter Eggs in their creations?

Everyone has their own reasons, so there is no easy answer. But we can offer some theories:

As a Signature - In the software world, many programs are released simply under a company brand, with no mention of the individuals who put in a lot of work on the product. So you often see Easter Eggs listing the people who worked on the project as a sort of hidden "We made this!" signature.
As an Inside Joke - Most groups of people who work together for a while develop their own inside jokes. Sometimes these inside jokes get slipped in as Easter Eggs, into Software, Movies, Music, etc. Often, an outsider would either not notice or be confused and not understand these Eggs, but that's the point - they are inside jokes.
Vanity - Directors will sometimes make uncredited appearances in their own movies as some bit part, and only people who actually know the director are be able to tell. Sometimes they'll also cast friends or relatives in parts also for kicks.
Tribute - An author or director might want to pay subtle tribute to someone or something they admire. For example, if a book is made into a movie, the original author may appear in an uncredited bit part.
To Add Something Personal - They put something in for no good reason other than just because they want to. Like Jerry Seinfeld hiding a Superman reference in every episode of his show.

How are most Easter Eggs discovered?

On this site of course! Seriously, the best way to find Easter Eggs is to come to a site like this one and see if others have discovered them first. Many eggs are almost impossible to find on your own, so check the archive first.

How are most Easter Eggs discovered originally? There isn't a lot of hard evidence, but our guess is that the information is often leaked by the people responsible for the Egg. They tell a few friends, who tell a few more friends, and eventually the information ends up here.

Of course, some Eggs are discovered accidentally or by piecing together detailed background information to uncover an Egg. Some people have accidentally stumbled across the right key combinations to activate some software Eggs. Also, people who happen to know a lot of background on a particular director might spot Eggs they have hidden in their movies. But usually you need some "inside information" to discover an Egg.

How can I find Easter Eggs on my own?

If you are determined to hunt down some Eggs on your own, here are a few tips:

Try what worked in the last version - Especially for software, the way to activate an Egg is often similar to the way an Egg was activated in the previous version of that product.
Look for Patterns - Check common Easter Egg patterns, like poking around the About Box for software programs.
Do Background Research - If you know a lot about a particular film, director, producer, etc., you are more likely to spot something they have hidden in their films, or recognize them if they make a cameo.
Explore the Unexplored - Eggs will often be hidden in places you wouldn't think to look. Try browsing around ALL the menus in DVDs, even in directions where you don't expect a menu item. Look in every nook and cranny within video games. Look in the background, or freeze-frame quick shots in movies to discover hidden Eggs. Eggs are meant to be hidden, so explore everywhere.

Why do companies allow Easter Eggs in their products?

Most companies don't allow Easter Eggs, and claim that they will remove any Easter Eggs they find and discipline the programmers who put them in. These affairs are internal to the company, however, and we have little data to confirm or deny this stance with many companies. Indeed, some companies (like Microsoft) seem to have had passive approval of Easter Eggs in their software, considering the many elaborate Eggs they have produced in the past. Although it is rumored that Microsoft has become very hard-line against Easter Eggs in its own software, Office 2000 still managed to contain a great Egg. You go, Office Team! Fight the power!

I don't like having an Easter Egg in my software! How can I remove it?

We hate to tell you this, but you're probably stuck with it. Since Easter Eggs are usually smuggled into the software in the first place, there is almost never a "remove" button. Sometimes companies will remove Eggs in later updates of the software, so your best bet is to wait for a service release, update your software, and see if the egg is gone.

However, usually Eggs take up very minimal resources, and their presence is virtually insignificant (see the next question).

How much disk space do Easter Eggs take up on my hard drive?

It's hard to give exact figures, but usually it is a very small amount, so small that it is insignificant in comparison to the size of the program itself. Otherwise, it would be more easily noticed in the QA process.

Even eggs that seem gigantic in size usually take up very little space. Take the Excel 97 Flight Simulator: It contains a few simple texture images, some text, and a simple terrain grid of points. None of this is very big (probably a few kilobytes), and even the "Flight Simulator" code is probably a few calls into the DirectX graphics system, which is already on the system anyway.

Bottom line: don't worry about the disk space being wasted by Easter Eggs. The old emails in your Inbox are probably wasting more space than those Eggs.

How much do Easter Eggs cost companies in terms of time, money, and possible liability?

Again, this is hard to answer because it is internal to a company and there is no hard data. However, being programmers ourselves, we don't think it is that much time or money. Programmers often work long, hard hours to put out a good product, and if one developer takes a couple of hours to whip up a simple Easter Egg to blow off a little steam, I don't have a problem with that. And while some of the more elaborate Eggs seem very complex, they also come from very large teams (like 500 people). Probably a few guys spent a few evening coding it up in their spare time for kicks. Again, a relatively insignificant cost in the whole software development life cycle.

Liability, however, is a different issue. Once the product is released, the company is responsible for the consequences of that product. If an Easter Egg is discovered that contains offensive or illegal content, the company may be held responsible, and even face lawsuits. And they may suffer from a "percieved quality" perspective. After all, if an elaborate Easter Egg slipped by their testing team, goodness knows what else might be lurking in there, right? So it is understandable why companies frown on Easter Eggs, simply because they don't go through the normal channels, but yet the company will be liable for the results.

Has anyone ever been fired over an Easter Egg?

Yes. A programmer at Maxis was fired over an egg he hid in Sim Copter. There have probably been others, and many who have been "disciplined" if not fired. Again, these are internal company affairs and not usually publicized.

Has a company ever been sued over an Easter Egg in one of their products?

We don't know of any lawsuits that have come forward over Easter Eggs. If anyone knows of a lawsuit, we'd like to hear about it.

Are cheat codes in games considered Easter Eggs?

Cheat codes are hidden and entertaining, but the argument can be made that they are intended "features" of games, even though they aren't documented. And they often lack any sort of "personal" reason for their existence. Our policy on this site is that we will accept cheat codes only if they are either particularly personal and entertaining or as comprehensive lists of all known cheat codes for a game, which are titled "Cheat Codes (NOT AN EGG)". This is a compromise, since most games have some cheat codes that are hidden and entertaining to many people, but this is an Easter Egg site and we don't want to get too caught up in keeping track of cheat codes for every game out there. There are already plenty of good sites that do this.

Are references to other people, products, or movies considered Easter Eggs?

This is a tough judgement call, and must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Our general rule is that the reference must be either extremely subtle or extremely well hidden to be considered an Egg. Basically if even a die-hard fan or "expert" is unlikely to find or catch the reference, it can be considered an Egg. Also, it helps if you can identify some personal significance behind the reference.

We get tons of Egg submissions that people claim are Eggs, but that fail these criteria. Some examples: Subtle references in "The Simpsons" are almost never Eggs, since the Simpsons is all about making subtle (or not-so-subtle) jokes and references. References to actor's previous movie roles are almost never Eggs, since they are put there explicitly for the purpose of being recognized by fans. References to other movies in the same series or genre are almost never Eggs for the same reason.

Are "cameos" considered Easter Eggs?

Cameos by actors (even uncredited cameos) aren't considered eggs, since they are put in to be recognized by viewers, especially avid viewers. The exception would be cameos where the actor is uncredited AND either disguised so you probably wouldn't recognize them, or hidden in some background shot where again you wouldn't likely spot them.

Cameos by the director usually ARE eggs. Few people know what the director looks like, and if he makes an uncredited appearance in his own movie, people aren't likely to recognize it.

Can Web sites have Easter Eggs?

Yes, they certainly can. However, because of the constantly changing nature of the Internet, and the huge volume of web sites out there, our policy is to not list Eggs in web sites. We do make a few exceptions for really popular big-name web sites, but that is the exception, not the rule.

Are "extra tracks" in albums considered Easter Eggs?

We do accept "hidden tracks" that meet certain criteria - they must either be in the "negative space" before the start of the CD (you put the CD in your player and then rewind from the beginning), or they are at the end of the CD after a LONG pause (so you probably wouldn't find them unless you left the CD playing accidentally). We do NOT accept any tracks in the middle of the CD, even if they aren't a listed.

Many CDs have hidden tracks, and you could argue that they aren't that unique, hidden, or personal. We agree, but they're about the closest thing to an Egg you can have in an album. Plus, lots of people enjoy discovering hidden tracks they didn't know about. We found out about hidden tracks in several albums we've owned for years from this site, so we feel it's fun, useful information that fits in fine with the Easter Egg theme.

Are "backward messages" in songs considered Easter Eggs?

Legitimate, intended backward messages are Easter Eggs. However, a common problem is that people looking for backward messages seem to find them in lots of songs, but when others listen to the backward message, it's very questionable whether it was intended, or just a coincidence where you have to allow a LOT of leeway in pronunciation to hear the "message".

The best way to get a "backward message" egg submission accepted is to include links to sound clips for both the "forward" and "backward" direction, and we can make a judgement call. Otherwise, our general policy is to have you post your "backward message" submission in the Discussion Area, and if others confirm that the backward message is genuine and intended, you can submit it to the main archive (with a note saying it was confirmed in the Discussion Area).

hey the note pad trick works only for xp windows
and also it shows the same result for any 4-3-3-5 combination of words

hey i feel thats called an EASTER EGG.

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CHF₃ is less acidic then CHCl₃ though flourine is more electronegative then chlorine.

^-CCl₃ is obtained by removal of proton from CHCl₃ is stabilised by resonance due to absence of d-orbitals in chlorine while ^-CF₃ is not stabilised by resonance due to absence of d-orbitals in flourine.