the blog

We've been talking a lot about how Xerpi simplifies planning for the holidays. It's a festive time of year, though, so to express that Xerpi-enhanced simplicity, I decided to try re-writing the lyrics of a popular Christmas song.

Imagine me showing up on your doorstep — bundled up in red and green holiday finery — and singing this song to the tune of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Xerpi, the favorites web page,
had a lot of favorite links.
All of the sites to go for
gifts and fun and food and drinks.

All of the other pages
found themselves in Xerpi's blocks.
Users would share their favorites
in a pretty-colored box!

On a busy Christmas Eve,
Santa's far away.
Xerpi with its links so bright
Helps you plan your Christmas right!

All of the happy users
found the sites they're dreaming of.
Xerpi the favorites web page,
organized their web with love!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Ho ho ho....

   

When they say Xerpi simplifies holidays, they're not kidding. I searched Xerpi for the word "Christmas", and found over 75 favorite links!

Try it... If you're shopping for your boyfriend, you'll find links with Christmas Gift Ideas for Men, "Romantic Gifts for Him," and even one labelled "Christmas Presents For Your Boyfriend!"

There's "Gift Ideas for Couples," "Cute Japanese Toys, Dolls & Collectibles," and one that just offers to give you "Amazing Christmas Ideas."

I did a search on Hanukkah, and Xerpi pulled up more holiday links. (One offered to let me "Learn about Chanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights" or "learn the rules for playing dreidel, and a recipe for latkes!")

But what I like best about surfing the web is serendipity — I always find something even more wonderful than what I was originally searching for. Xerpi definitely proved this to me when searching on the word "Christmas." One favorite linked to a web site called "I am bored.com" which was hosting a copy of a hilarious three-minute video promising "the best Christmas lights ever." It shows an amazing house display synchronized with a bombastic electric guitar version of Christmas carols. (I'm just glad I don't live next door to them!)

Xerpi also found a link to some fan fiction for the anime cartoon Naruto titled "What I Want For Christmas." ("She enters, and her seductive innocence floors him so...") There was even a link to a news story called "Syphilis for Christmas," but it didn't seem particularly jolly...

And one link made me really jealous. It told the story a San Francisco geek who received his first Christmas card of the year...from Google! (They sent him a digital photograph frame which even played mp3s!)

I ended up spending over half an hour just clicking through all the interesting links.

But maybe it makes sense. After all, besides giving us a chance to spend time with our loved ones, I've always thought of the holiday as a time for fun surprises.

And I never fail to find a lot of fun surprises when searching Xerpi!

   

I told my friend Richard about Xerpi — and he surprised me with an unexpected treat.

Richard's a big fan of the Beach Boys, and "Xerpi" does sound a little bit like the word "surfing." So this morning I checked my email, and there it was.

A song parody that Richard had written that was all about Xerpi, and sung to the tune of the Beach Boys' song, Surfin' USA....

If everybody had a notion,
Across the USA,
Then everybody'd go Xerpi
Just like my good friend Dave!

You'll see 'em saving their web sites,
Searching for new ones too.
And sharing all of their favorites.
Xerpi USA!

You'll catch 'em making their link blocks,
And a Community View
Where everyone can add favorites
or find a page that's new.

All over the web, now
Send bookmarks back to their page!
Everybody's gone Xerpi
Xerpi USA...

We're saving our favorite pages
arranged in pretty squares,
Or matching our favorite tag words
to yours, mine, and theirs.

You'll see 'em linking to Google
And dictionaries, too!
Everybody's gone Xerpi
Xerpi USA.

We'll all be planning out a block
We're gonna fill with links
Of sites to surf or go shopping,
places to meet for drinks...

Even out with our cellphones
we'll take our bookmarks away!
Tell the browsers it's Xerpi
Xerpi USA.

I can almost hear the backup vocals now.

They're singing "Favorites, favorites, U.S.A..."