Customer Reviews

The Root of All Evil

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Iliad's The Root Of All Evil is the third and latest compilation of the online mega hit comic strip, "User Friendly". The "User Friendly" comic strip holds no sacred cows, but pokes particular humor at the world of online techies, harried customer support service staff, Internet computer game addicts, narcissistic sales staff, and computer programmers who secretly plot world domination. There is a reason why one million readers in more than a hundred nations (including Israel, Brazil, Iceland, New Zealand, and Greece) have logged into Userfriendly.org to follow "User Friendly" comics. The reason is that "User Friendly" is side-splitting funny, even - or especially - for those of us who have lagged behind a bit in the wake of the technical revolution. The Root Of All Evil is a fresh breath of originality, guaranteed hilarious, and absolutely, positively, not to be missed. Highly, wholeheartedly, enthusiastically recommended!

You have to be a computer geek to understand the humor. If you are, and especially if you have a unix/linux background and/or have worked with internet or other computer support you will find this one of the most hysterical comics around.

"Am thinkink. Erwin, to fight such big powerful company as AOL, am to be fightink fire with fire. Da?"
"Umm...what did you have in mind?"
"Am to becomink half computer, half human, like Borg. Then to become super administrator of all Borg functions."
"That means...you'll become..."
"Da. I will becomink root of all evil."
"Don't do it, Pitr! Don't go to the bad place!"
- Pitr the techie and Erwin the AI, in conversation

After opening with a few post-Y2K-bust strips, the Columbia Internet crew having stockpiled lots of soda and pork rinds for the occasion, the book settles into its more usual long-running plot threads.

Stef's been given the title "Manager: S&M." ("It stands for SALES AND MARKETING you depraved monkeys.") In his efforts to sell a line of products the same way that the Pokemon empire does their stuff, he persuades Pitr to make collectible Unix text editors. Pitr, in fact, goes through several evil little anti-Unix projects in the book to keep his hand in as a budding Evil Genius.

Other developments in the continuing story:
- AJ struggles to figure out how to court Miranda properly (badly timed in light of the "I love you" virus).
- Stef (who as a Windows user sees Unix holy wars as an added bonus of his job) makes the mistake of interfering in Miranda's life, which leads to a lot of Matrix crossover references.
- Mike becomes a Sims addict. ("Hey! Are you *allowed* to have four wives?")
- Greg's tech support calls turn into a game-help hotline.
- Pitr has an evil twin brother in Sales who affects the same fake accent.
- Introducing Sid Dabster, the aging ex-HP tech who becomes something of a blood enemy of Pitr's.

And, of course, the fantasy elements, such as:
- Parallels between Steve Case of AOL and Anakin Skywalker.
- Greg's Linux daemons (think "shoulder angel" here).

If you don't find at least some of the strips very funny, you should have your geek status removed. :)

Although a bit dated, containing strips related to the Y2K craze here and there, this little book is still otherwise as funny and timely as any commentary on the computer industry could be. The X-Men and Borg references are absolutely hysterical. If you work in a tech job, you should be reading User Friendly.

Great book for the geek! I start my day at work with my fix of the "Daily Static" otherwise know as the User Friendly comic strip. ...

It touches on many of the issues facing the technical geek today from the point of view of the geek. Issues range from the AOL, Time-Warner merger to the geek and dating (yes, it is an oxymoron).

The cast of characters are all well developed, even if they do only have four fingers. It is an enjoyable read and re-read. Get this for yourself or for your favorite geek. They will enjoy it!

Once again, Illiad has given us a book filled with the familiar cast of characters from Dust Puppy and Erwin to the ever-frustrated AJ. User Friendly continues to make people from all over the IT world (and beyond) laugh as Illiad keeps his finger on what really is funny about computers and life in the digital age.

It's a good book, but I think previous books have been funnier.