I can't grasp your overall thesis here, except maybe some general notion that the world of software is one of class warfare? That's definitely very arguable ov

I can't grasp your overall thesis here, except maybe some general notion that the world of software is one of class warfare? That's definitely very arguable overall, but I don't think the specific points you make are correct. Jim Carlton's book on Apple ("the inside story of intrigue, egomania and business blunders") is a great read. It feels a bit strange now as it was written in the period the OP talks about, when Apple was on death's door, rather than the world-striding colossus it is now. But I think it describes very vividly the environment where easter eggs like the OP describes were more common. There were definitely plenty of bored, checked-out engineers -- often between projects with few responsibilities, or "on the beach" in Apple parlance. But those weren't the people shipping stuff. There were also engineers who loved Apple's products and culture (maybe to a dangerous, cult-like degree), who wanted to contribute and to add their personal stamp as a mark of pride.