Windows brings out the Rorschach test in everyone (2003)

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"It seems that no matter what you do, somebody will get offended." — Raymond Chen

It appears that the human mind is predisposed to find patterns—and problems—where none were intended. In the world of software development, this often manifests as a psychological Rorschach test.

The Case of the "Controversial" Infant

Back in the day, every retail copy of Windows 95 featured an anti-piracy hologram on the packaging. To ensure the image was difficult to forge, the photographer used his own baby as the model.

The original design worked like this:

1. The baby is positioned next to a computer.
2. As the viewer tilts the hologram, the baby's arm moves.
3. The arm points toward the screen, which then transforms into the Windows 95 logo.

The Diplomatic Crisis

However, a certain government (which we will keep secret leave nameless) took issue with the imagery. Their grievance? The hologram depicted naked children.

Despite the fact that the baby was only shown from the waist up, the officials concluded that the child was likely not wearing trousers.

The Solution

Microsoft rushed out a revised version where the baby was outfitted in a shirt and overalls. However, because this was a "rush job," the animation was sacrificed.

Collector's Checklist:

• Locate old Windows 95 box
• Inspect hologram
• Check for clothing
• If shirtless $\rightarrow$ Genuine Collector's Item

A Pattern of Pareidolia

The baby wasn't an isolated incident. Many users have claimed to find "subliminal messages" hidden within the OS. For instance, some insist there are hidden images tucked away in the clouds bitmap.

Other examples of people seeing things that aren't there include:

• The "Buttocks" Landscape: The original Windows XP wallpaper, Red Moon Desert, had to be changed because some users thought the terrain looked like a pair of rear ends.
• The Dictator Lookalike: In the User Accounts control panel, one of the generic avatars was accused of resembling Adolf Hitler.
• The Obscene Icon: One government claimed that a cartoon character in the original "Switch Users" dialog was shaped like an obscene body part.

Final Thoughts

When you consider the sheer variety of things people "discovered" in the UI, it leads to a mathematical curiosity regarding the perception of the user:

$\text{Offense} = \frac{\text{Imagination} \times \text{Sensitivity}}{\text{Actual Intent}}$

It really makes me question the mental state of the people serving as our beta testers...

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About the Author: Raymond Chen

Raymond has spent over three decades contributing to the growth of Windows. In 2003, he launched The Old New Thing, a blog that became unexpectedly popular—a fact that still makes him feel a bit uneasy.

Quick Facts:

• Book: The Old New Thing (Addison Wesley, 2007).
• Socials: Occasionally posts on the Windows Dev Docs Twitter to share stories that are intentionally devoid of useful information.
• Profile:

# A mock representation of the "Offense" logic
if ($user.perception -eq "Buttocks" -and $image -eq "RedMoonDesert") {
    Write-Output "Change wallpaper immediately!"
}