How to Control Christmas Lights Over the Internet

Long gone are the days of Christmas light competitions between neighbors. With modern technology it's not only possible to compete with holiday decor globally, but you can actually control people's holiday displays with just a click of your mouse. A new phenomenon is cropping up around the world with interactive, Internet-controlled holiday displays that are controlled by their online audience.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Find a site that allows you to control the Christmas lights. Most sites are independently run by people who have the knowledge and time to set up servers and know how to set up a grid linked into a computer, so there haven't been too many available in recent years. One of the most popular sites has been Alek's Controllable Christmas Lights for Celiac disease.
2. View images from different web cams. Most sites allow you to view the display from multiple angles. Before you have the chance to alter the lights, see what others are doing by watching the lights controlled by other people. This gives you a good idea of what buttons control specific areas of lights.
3. Get ready to join in the fun. Each site recognizes your computer and move you into a queue to control the Christmas lights. If you are using a site that doesn't automatically register your IP address, select the link that allows you to control the lights yourself.
4. Control each set of lights for the allotted time by clicking the on or off buttons. Toggle the buttons from left to right or simply click the buttons on or off. Depending on the site you may have control over every element of the display or you may have control over one element.
5. Watch as you control the Christmas lights display with the web cam images updating every 3 to 5 seconds. Though the allotted time is only roughly 30 seconds, you may revisit the site to repeat these steps.

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