User Friendly (Paperback)

by JD Frazer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Yes, it's a cliché, but it's true enough to be worth repeating: User Friendly is to the open-source world what Dilbert is to swarming hives of Windows cubicles. Set in an ISP company that keeps getting bought and sold, the constant remains a team of cynical, hilarious techies. M.B.A.s and marketers drift in and out, as do CEOs, often making statements like, "I can't surf the Web. I think the Internet is broken." For anyone who's dealt with similar situations, User Friendly is the ultimate in-joke.

To be fair, the comic is pretty basic in layout and execution. No one will confuse this book with a graphic novel, since the visuals basically exist only to further the punch line. (Think of a stripped-down Bloom County and you're getting close.) Lots of the jokes involve goofy, clichéd rants about the beauty of Quake, Linux, and Star Wars--the holy trinity for a white, wired, 18-26 year-old male audience. But when the author, Illiad, nails the bloated bureaucracy that exists in the tech working world, it's a laugh-out-loud payoff. In one comic, a new "suit" walks into the tech den and asks, What's "one thing that makes your job difficult, and we'll see about eliminating that." The chorus erupts: "Meetings." The new boss replies: "Very good. Now let's spend a few hours discussing why meetings make you unproductive." A comic that tilts at windmills and Windows, it's clear why User Friendly has developed such a strong online cult following. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Product Description
User Friendly tells the story of Columbia Internet, "the friendliest, hardest-working, and most neurotic little Internet Service Provider in the world." Take three techs, two salespeople, a designer, two executives, a couple of administrative staff, mix in a mischievous Artificial Intelligence and a "dust puppy" born from the innards of a mega server, put them all together in a crowded little office, and you have the makings of one of the most off-beat, original, and funny comic strips to come along in years. User Friendly reads like Dilbert for the open-source community. Already in syndication in The National Post, one of Canada's two leading national newspapers, and with a massive online following, it provides outsiders a lighthearted look at the world of the hard-core geek, and allows those who make their living dwelling in this world a chance to laugh at themselves.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc. (September 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565926730
• ISBN-13: 978-1565926738
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #850,123 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #55 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Humor
  #76 in	Books > Entertainment > Humor > Computers & Internet

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dilbert for ISPs, March 22, 2000

By	Shane Collinge (Australia) - See all my reviews

I was fortunate enoughto get hold of a copy of "USER FRIENDLY the comic strip". As a computer geek myself, I found many in-jokes and opportunities for a good old larf.

Charles Schultz (Peanuts) was a master of characterization. Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) is a genius at representing theology, Scott Addams (Dilbert) at corporate culture. With User Friendly, Iliad has captured the geek ethic and programmer culture. He sees as a computer professional sees, plays Quake as they play Quake and eats sugar-rich foods as they do. In this anthology you'll expect to see Quake jokes, Microsoft jibes, corporate takeovers and accents that change more quickly than the bug list>for Windows 2000.

The only criticism I can raise is that having been spoilt by Gary Larson's "Prehistory of the Far Side", I would have liked to see some of the nuts & bolts behind the scenes, like a "Techniques" section or a "Ideas rejected by the editor" section.

Other than that, I sat and read it cover to cover. Every time I'd go to put it down, I'd hit another storyline and I wanted to see how it would end. The Star Wars storyline was my favourite. Yeah, Sith Lords *do* get the coolest lightsabers!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money - easily, February 7, 2000

By A Customer

Out of all the cartoon books I've bought in my life, this is the only one to ever top Calvin and Hobbes on my list of favorites.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy Multiple Copies, May 24, 2000

By A Customer

I can't keep the book on my desk. Every IS person in the organization is borrowing, copying their favorites(sorry), and leaving "user friendly" messages on our customer computers. I have taken down my Dilberts in favor of Illiad's spot-on view of my world. When's the next one ?