alaricljs's post lists pins in a new standard used by makers of some pre-built machines (HP, Gateway, etc.) for the header where the wires from front panel switches and LED's connect to the motherboard.
Er, say WHAT? I'm talking about the pins on the 24 pin PSU connector that would normally feed power to the motherboard. Hence stating that you need to unplug everything. pin 16 on standard 24 pin ATX PSUs is the pin that the mobo power button connector routes to. Shorting it to a ground pin (17 or any other black wire) will tell the PSU to power on. Some PSUs need a load, hence the fan recommendation.
http://www.motherboards.org/images/articles/guides/24-pin.jpg