Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 11:57:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lisa Mann 
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: Illiad Strikes Again: Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell released

For immediate release
For more information, a review copy, cover art, Dust Puppy graphic,
sample strip, or interview with the cartoonist, contact:
Lisa Mann (707) 829-0515 ext 230 or lisam@oreilly.com



Illiad strikes again - Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Released

Sebastopol, CA--The just-released follow-up to the extraordinarily
popular first collection of User Friendly comic strips from O'Reilly &
Associates, ("User Friendly", $12.95), "Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell"
tells the continuing tale of Columbia Internet, "the friendliest,
hardest-working and most neurotic little Internet Service Provider in
the world." Take three techs, two sales people, 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.

"If you ask 20 people what User Friendly is about, you'll get 20 subtly
different answers," says the cartoon's creator, J.D. 'Illiad' Frazer. 
"Some say it's a cartoon about Open Source; some say it's about the rift
between technical and nontechnical staff; others say its about the pain
that technical people suffer when dealing with the stubbornly
unintelligent; some even say that User Friendly is a cartoon about
Internet Workers. User Friendly addresses all those issues, but I don't
think that's what it's about, strictly speaking. User Friendly's
universe revolves around the simple idea that technology brings out
both the best and the worst in people, no matter who they are."

"Dust Puppy is styled partly after Berke Breathed's kind-hearted Opus,
and partially from what I thought I and many others had at one point,
but don't anymore: innocence," explains Frazer. "It's also been
observed by some that the Dust Puppy can be seen as the distilled
essence of a true hacker; innocence and a well-meaning nature coupled
with unbridled curiosity and an intuitive sense of ethics." Dust Puppy,
one of User Friendly's main characters, even made an appearance in the
Top Ten on Time Magazine's Online "Man of the Year" Poll for 1998, says
Lev Grossman of Time Magazine.

User Friendly reads like Dilbert for the Information Technology and
Open Source communities. With a massive online following
(www.userfriendly.org) who call themselves "UFies" (U-fees), User
Friendly provides outsiders with a light-hearted 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.

What readers and critics said about "User Friendly"

"Eric Raymond wrote essays about the Internet community. Illiad went
one step further and captured the spirit of the ISP and the free
software communities in cartoon form. If you've ever wondered what goes
on behind the scenes at your ISP or how free software users sometimes
think, all can now be revealed."-- Alan Cox, Linux God and Kernel Hacker

"The only reason everyone in the world doesn't read User Friendly is
that not everyone has fast access to the Web. Now you can get the book,
so there's no excuse at all. The only problem with User Friendly as a
book is you'll read it all at once, when you ought to ration yourself
for a little joy every day."--Jerry Pournelle, Senior Contributing
Editor, BYTE.com

"The perfect book or gift for the computer professional. Good for more
than a few good laughs! Buy it!"--John C. Dvorak, Computer Columnist

"User Friendly is smart and sassy and just what I've been waiting fora
cartoon that computer geeks can relate to. A cutting-edge cartoon about
cutting-edge technology, User Friendly is funny enough that even the
non-geeks will get it. The recent Star Wars spoof was intelligent,
timely, and funny. I'm proud to have User Friendly in Linux Journal."
--Marjorie L. Richardson, Editor in Chief, Linux Journal

"Illiad's understanding of the Linux and Open Source community is
uncanny. You have to live it to know it as well as he does. User
Friendly is more than a cartoon, it's brilliant social commentary for
the computer culture of today. You really feel connected to him,
because he seems to live in your mind. It's a must-click, the cartoon
kicks ass!"--Trae McCombs, Manager, Linux.com

"comical, irreverent, and hilarious...A whimsical snapshot of the Linux
and Open Source problems and practices, its characters portray the Open
Source community at its best and worst, with and without caffeine (after
I picked myself up from laughing several times, I found myself
rereading the selections and finding nuances I hadn't previously
noticed.) Illiad's ability to target and distill everyday routines make
User Friendly THE Open Source comic strip. This collection is the
perfect gift and stress reliever. Buy this book and read it
often!"--Elizabeth Zinkann, Sys Admin, January 2000

"Top Ten Open Source Book Choice of 1999 This collection of strips from
Frazer's daily syndicated comic makes for a hilarious read.  Clueless
customers, caffeine-addled coders, and bubble-headed marketing types
populate the world of J. D. Frazer aka Illiad.  Ground zero is Columbia
Internet, a small ISP that keeps getting bought and sold, a place where
sysadmins would rather spend time playing Quake than helping the CEO
who says, 'I think the Internet is broken.' Often compared to the
Windows workplace of Dilbert, User Friendly targets the Linux coder's
funny bone. In the finale's parable, Eric Raymond makes a special guest
appearance as Obi-Wan Kenobi."--Wideopen.com, December 1999

"Funny, offbeat and original comic strips that will tickle the funny
bone of all computer users, and Illiad is a supporter of Linux, too.
Get your copy today."--Linux Journal, January 2000

"One of the characteristics of healthy cultures is that they can poke
fun at themselves. I guess the hacker culture is in good health,
because User Friendly is hilarious. Its irreverence, sophisticated
in-jokes and surrealistic edge are a rocket straight out of the
Internet's collective unconscious." --Eric S. Raymond, Ubergeek

"User Friendly has something that no other cartoon has: the ability to
not only be funny, but be exactly like events at your own work. In
fact, sometimes you think life would be better if you worked for
Columbia Internet."--Scott James Remnant, Editor, segfault.org

"User Friendly taps the Open Source movement's collective funny bone--a
smart and quirky cartoon born of the Open Source movement and
championed by geeks across the Net."-- Janelle Brown, Salon Magazine,
October 1999

"Funny stuff for the techno-nerd. Have no idea what to get the computer
geek on your Christmas list? Skip the latest cutting-edge hardware or
the newest game, and go low-tech. As in a book. Specifically a
hilarious new title called 'User Friendly', a collection of offbeat
comic strips about all things digital. Think Dilbert for the
semi-conductor set any self-respecting mouse jockey will see himself or
herself in these panels. It's as though you're sharing an inside joke."
--Dan Geiser, The Gazette, November 15, 1999

"One of the most gimme books of the year: O'Reilly's User Friendly. The
whole gang is gathered together in a dead tree version, which means you
can finally take UF where ever you want to beUser Friendly, the
greatest Open Source-savvy comic stripThe naive might compare User
Friendly to Dilbert, since they're both set in technology industry
offices, but it's really more like Doonesbury The strip is very, very
funny and by reading it, you will always feel like a member of the Open
Source club."--Stern, slashdot.org, November 1999

"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.User Friendly is the ultimate in-joke."  Amazon Top Ten
Cyberculture Picks of 1999


About UserFriendly.org
Founded in November, 1997 as an online daily episodic comic strip,
Userfriendly.org has expanded rapidly into what is now arguably the
largest online entertainment web site appealing to the IT technical
community. UserFriendly.org is currently attracting more than 1.7
million visits, 537,000 unique visitors and 10 million page views per
month from more than 140 countries to the User Friendly comic strip and
such personal services as the "GeekFinder" international career posting
board.


For more information about the book, including Table of Contents, index, 
author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/evilgenius/

The User Friendly web site:
http://www.userfriendly.org/

For a cover graphic in jpeg format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/156592861x.jpg


Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell
by Illiad
1st Edition April 2000
1-56592-861-X, 132 pages, $12.95
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
http://www.oreilly.com