CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: NAUGHTY OR NICE? IT'S TIME TO ADD YOUR NAME TO SANTA'S CYBERLIST (COLUMN 15)

Weary of all the rushing around of holiday shopping? You might want to sit back and see what the Internet has to offer.

The Internet will be busy this holiday season. People are thinking about new computers for Christmas, software, and people are shopping from home via the Internet.

Plus, a lot of people will be sending all their Christmas letters and holiday cards via e-mail to save the price of a stamp.

Apple Computer got us thinking about holidays on the Internet with a list of family holiday web sites in its winter edition of Family Computer Corner.

A cartoon elf sledding over snow-covered hills says follow me to the merriest place in cyberspace.

http://www.claus.com

Joni: It takes us to the Cyberspace North Pole. Look, Santa's house is shaped liked a giant hat. The page is a tad slow to load because it's very graphics oriented. Here you can find Mrs. Claus's Kitchen, Santa's house, Naughty or nice archives, post office, toy workshop, calendar, Santa tracker and elf school. The page is presented by Service Merchandise.

Peggy: We must look at Naughty or Nice first. Santa is allowing us a peek at his top secret naughty or nice list. You can also learn the top 10 ways to make the naughty list, and the top 10 for the nice list.

Joni: Let's see what my rating is. Still very much on the nice list, but Santa says I should eat more vegetables instead of junk food. Hey, he knows me.

Peggy: The top 10 list counts down Santa's pet peeves, including putting out milk for Santa that's seven days past the expiration date and tugging on someone's beard.

Joni: Uh Oh. Number 6 could be my downfall: Getting into the express lane when you know you have more than 10 items.

Peggy: Number one on the nice list: Clean the lint out of the dryer screen for the next person. I think we could come up with some nicer things.

Joni: Mrs. Claus offers recipes that kids can make, including Not Even a Mouse Salad, Santa Shake, Banana Blitzen and Reindeer treats. Santa also gives some history and traditions associated with Christmas.

Peggy: Here's the tradition of the Christmas pickle. I don't think I believe this alleged Spanish tradition. If anyone has heard of it, please let me know.

Peggy: Santa isn't in the workshop. He's out playing hoops with the elves.

Joni: It doesn't seem quite fair. Santa should get the basket all the time. He's playing with height-challenged elves.

Peggy: Most of the elves are working in the toy workshop along with Professor Nifty. You can take a look at the newest toys and make a Christmas wish list to print out.

Joni: The page also has something like an Internet advent calendar with elves. Click on the elf for each day. But you can't peek ahead. It wasn't working, but I guess they will have it up and running soon.

Peggy: Entry to elf school requires a password that you decode. E-mail Santa, and Santa will get his e-mail response back within four days.

Joni: On Christmas Eve, check on the Santa Tracker, the only tracking system of its kind in the universe. See where he's traveled to, how many cookies he's eaten, how many glasses of milk he's consumed and how close he is to your house.

What's the current time at the North Pole. Find out at

http://www.santas-workshop.com

Peggy: In Santa's workshop you can create your own card. They have 10 images, which you can print out. They print in black and white so children may color them however they wish. You can send letters to Santa via e-mail from this site, and he says he always replies. You can add toys to your wish list from the toy box.

Joni: One great thing about the Internet is that you can be anywhere in the world in a second. You also have an opportunity to learn how people in other parts are celebrating. One place to learn more about how other cultures celebrate Christmas can be found at

http://www.christmas.com

Peggy: Here's Santa's domain on the web, batteries not included. Christmas is one of the few holidays celebrated worldwide with as many traditions as there are countries.

Joni: They also have information on other holidays celebrated during this season, including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ta Chiu and Yule.

Peggy: Impress your friends. Confuse your relatives. Learn to say Merry Christmas in over 33 languages. It's fun, but they need a pronunciation guide.

Joni: We also found lyrics to lots of popular Christmas carols. No excuse for humming those parts of Christmas carols you don't know.

Peggy: One of the best parts of the Web is the quirky humor that can be found at many sites. Here's a good example. Click only if you dare to learn the truth about Santa from the --- X-mas files. We dared.

Joni: Santa was spotted at a Clinton fund-raiser in Fairfax, Va., according to case photo 3045. Case photo 3082, shows Santa in an ancient Egyptian papyrus. There's plenty of proof for the disbelievers. You can also send in your own Santa sightings.

Peggy: Another site has 75 photojournalists recording Christmas events in more than 30 countries around the world in a photographic celebration.

http://www.christmas96.com

Joni: Today's assignment is O Christmas Tree, including a shot of Christmas trees in Beijing, Quebec, Lebanon, London, New York and many other countries.

Peggy: You can send a digital holiday card from this site. It's stored at the site and they send an e-mail letting your recipient know a holiday card is waiting.

Joni: You use the images that have been featured on the page taken by photographers at Time, Life, Paris Match and National Geographic. You can definitely send a unique Christmas card.

Peggy: What's your favorite Christmas spot on the web? E-mail us at movn@ldd.net.

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor and Peggy Scott is a graphics editor/staff writer at the Southeast Missourian.