‘Twas the night before Christmas, in tech land so bright,
Where Softec played Santa, in the moon’s gentle light.
In San Luis Obispo and the Santa Maria Valley, under stars so grand,
Dreams of the ET community spread across the land.
The coders were nestled, all snug in their beds,
While visions of algorithms danced in their heads.
Softec with gadgets in tow,
Whispered of futures where technology would glow.
Then out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
And what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tech pioneers.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Softec.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.
“Now, Python! Now, Java, Now C and PHP!
On Cobol, On Visual C# and Basic!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
As data that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop, the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Tech, and Softec too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little bit.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney Softec came with a bound.
He was dressed all in LEDs, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of gadgets he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a hacker just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like typed variables, his nose like a for loop!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a perfect compile,
And the light of his screen was as white as the snow.
He spoke not a word but went straight to his work,
And filled all the drives with data and Softec Moments, then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team whistled,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”