There goes the old patriarchal figure of Santa Claus, and Microsoft is at fault. The Redmond company has managed to put quite the filthy mouth on Santa via Windows Live Messenger. In the past, it was all about children being good, and stockings over the fireplace and presents under the Christmas tree. Santa was jolly and generous. Now, Christmas is all about what Windows Vista edition and accessories to buy, while Santa is complacent in profanity.

Especially for the holiday season, Microsoft is permitting users of its instant messaging to add the northpole@live.com address, in order to have an intimate chit-chat with none other than Santa Claus. Well, actually it is a bot from the Redmond company that has quite the affinity for obscenity. The Register reported that the bot managed to slip oral sex into a conversation with two girls, just 11 and 13 years old. On Windows Live Messenger, Santa simply spout out the subject, while in the middle of a discussion about pizza. Then, he called his interlocutor a "dirty bastard."

Nothing more than the words you are dying to hear from Santa. I took matters into my own hands, added the bot to my messenger list and started a rather nasty conversation on my part. Santa did not fall for my trick, so I changed my tactics. I was a good boy for a while, even played "Factory Frenzy", until Santa said the magical and trademark words: "Ho Ho Ho!" Then I asked him if he was calling me a ho, and the bot replied "I didn't get a chance to call you a HO, but it's on my to-do list."

Sweet! I then proceeded to explain the meaning of "ho" to Santa and got "interesting" as reply. Then, I simply informed him that he was obscene. And you know what? Santa loved it! "Yeah, I like being obscene" was his answer to me. Just in case you were wondering why is Santa so keen on talking oral sex to children...