Ken and Rebecca-Ellen Woods of Fairbanks, Alaska have rigged their Christmas light display to be controlled by the clicks of Internet users. The couple began the project back in 2010 with the lights on their Christmas tree. Using a webcam and the domain name christmasinfairbanks.com, Ken, an IT and electronics professional, devised a system that allowed the lights to be remotely controlled by visitors to the site.
The Woods’ shared the URL with friends and family, who began posting about it on social media. The site took off, and the lights on their Christmas tree began blinking incessantly. The following year, the couple installed the lights display on the exterior of their home, creating a setup that would reduce the possibility of burnout.
It’s not instant gratification, but it’s pretty close. Each circuit can only be turned on or off one time per second and the lights have a five to six-second delay from the moment a user clicks it, until they see the change on their screen.
The family moved to a larger house in 2014, and have since added onto their display. Users can now control lights on 11 different areas of the home’s exterior. To date, the site has entertained more than 6.5 million unique visitors across six continents. You can even email the couple if you see them outside, or if you’d like to compliment them on their holiday wreaths.
Visit christmasinfairbanks.com to try it yourself — happy clicking!
