WordPress.com (the free hosted version of the WordPress blogging platform — you knew that) has decided that the new snow effect is cool enough to add to its front page.

Having suffered a range of CPU-killing websites over the years — on both dinosaur computers (my fault) and high-spec ones (website owners fault) — I’m wary of the following statement on WordPress.com’s announcement:

Older computers may run slow or stop responding due to snow.

It proves how little I visit WordPress.com blogs (or the blogs of people that turn the effect on) because I hadn’t realised the snow had been around for the previous two years.

I’ve visited plenty of websites that add seasonal effects, but the number does appear to have diminished recently.

Maybe that’s because people running professional web sites are keener to keep things simple, or because we no longer live in a GeoCities world, or because animated GIFs are generally naff.

Still, JavaScript lovers rejoice. Let’s hear it for snowstorm.js!

Do you like the wintry effects added to web sites or should we save it for the real world and leave cyberspace free from snow and flashing Christmas decorations?

Unfortunately for the hungry, they’re not edible, but instead are made from polymer clay and miniature candles. They represent the standard icon set on the front page of the iPhone, as the photo below shows.

Definitely one to brighten up your fridge.

$38 for the complete set, which comes in a metal tin.