Internet Creates New Traditions

This morning my son, Anthony, approached me to ask when were going to start tracking Santa because he figured Santa Claus had already left on his mission and now was as good a time as any to get started with the tracking.

This tracking Santa business started harmlessly enough when I discovered the site a few years ago in attempt to disprove my kids’ skepticism. I was explaining to my children that Santa Claus was real and they greeted me with raised eyebrows.

“Some kids say he isn’t real,” they intoned.

Bah! said I.

He was so real in fact, NORAD has to track his movements across the globe to ensure he isn’t brought down by an errant missle. That got their attention. The thought of Santa being hit by a SCUD had them greatly concerned but the fact there was some risk in the adventure was all the validation they needed. Plus it was on the Internet and everything on the Internet is real…that is a lesson for another day.

I also explained to them the Easter Bunny had a very near miss one year and that is the secret reason NORAD installed the tracking system with our tax dollars. That also made good sense to them because they didn’t want to their favorite mythical figures (the ones that brought gifts and candy) hung up in some hospital recovering from shrapnel wounds while their chocolate melted.

Now my children have their own PCs and they track Santa on their own throughout the day by visiting the Norad Tracks Santa site. Although as the time grows closer we gather around together for the latest updates. As a child I could only have dreamed about doing something like this, especially with a 300 baud modem on a Vic-20!

The takeaway from this blog is how the Internet really is changing our lives, our children, and now influencing our behavior including our traditions. This simple ritual of tracking Santa Claus on the Internet is one I know my children will keep in their hearts as a fond piece of nostalgia. Perhaps they will pass this little tradition on to their kids as well. Then again, by that time, Santa might able to just teleport stuff under the tree or will have his sleigh equipped with an anti-missle system. Who knows?

For my skeptical colleagues who are curmudgeons… (you know who you are)You can track Santa Clause for yourself.. Happy Holidays and Peace to all!

About Wayne Porter

Wayne Porter is one of the original founders of ReveNews.com, and served as the CEO and founder of XBlock Systems a specialized research firm on greynets and malware research before being acquired by unified communications security leader, Factime Security Labs. His work includes serving as a panlist at the Federal Trade Commission to shape legislation on software and the creation of two patent-pending technologies for corporate networks. Wayne is a frequent speaker at e-commerce & business events including CJU, ASW and RSA and frequently cited in the press. He has been designated a Microsoft Security MVP three times and is recognized on Google’s Responsible Security Disclosure page- in addition to receiving the first Summit Legend Award. Wayne currently works as a Security Consultant on Social Media and operates a consultancy on digital worlds. His hobbies include reading science fiction, playing chess, fishing, writing, collecting shiny digital gadgets, playing racquetball and studying memetic engineering. He maintains a personal weblog at WaynePorter.com detailing his explorations in security, web 2.0, and virtual worlds.
You can follow Wayne on Twitter: @wporter.

Website: http://www.wayneporter.com