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Easter eggs are somewhat of a software tradition.

This particular one didn't get complains because of a combination of reasons like:

- It is completely off-line (hell, it's only available on the "you're off-line" screen, where there isn't much else you can do with a browser).

- It's off by default (you need to be on a proper screen).

- It's a small and self-contained game. Doesn't impact anything else beyond a small area on the tab, which makes it just a step up from an animated GIF.

- It's just a joke, it isn't tied to any commercial franchise or brand, nor does it promote any ideology or organization.

- People expect less user-fairness from Google than from Mozilla.

Ultimately, the line is fuzzy, but Chrome's dinosaur is clearly more like an Easter egg, and Mozilla's Looking Glass is clearly more like a very specific extension/feature.




> It's just a joke, it isn't tied to any commercial franchise or brand, nor does it promote any ideology or organization.

This is an interesting point - I guess the blowback would also have been far less intense had it been a reference to e.g. Big Buck Bunny rather than Mr. Robot.


Yeah, I suspect this is the main underlying reason behind the drama - Looking Glass is, ultimately, an advertisement.




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