easter egging

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)

Easter egging
 n.

   [IBM] The act of replacing unrelated components more or less at random
   in hopes that a malfunction will go away. Hackers consider this the
   normal operating mode of {field circus} techs and do not love them for
   it. See also the jokes under {field circus}. Compare {shotgun
   debugging}.

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

Easter egging

   <jargon> ({IBM}, From the custom of the Easter Egg hunt
   observed in the US and many parts of Europe) The act of
   replacing unrelated components more or less at random in the
   hope that a malfunction will go away.  Hackers consider this
   the normal operating mode of {field circus} techs and do not
   love them for it.

   Compare {Easter egg}, {shotgun debugging}.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1998-03-18)