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COMMUNIQUE?
16:25 PST 04 SEP 1998
The Friendly Forum, a DISCUS-based discussion board, is up and running. As per several dozen requests, the forum is available for you to air your comments, ask questions, discuss, etc. Virtual community and all that. Feel free, and don't be shy. We're all geeks here. Thanks to Tom Klok for helping me with the installation and config.

OKAY, SO I CAN'T SCHEDULE ANYTHING PROPERLY
11:45 PST 04 SEP 1998
I really wanted to have the new contest/survey up today, but I guess I underestimated the workload I have. Next week for sure though. Hmmm. I need an assistant. And thirty-six hours in a day.

PRY THEM FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGERS
12:51 PST 03 SEP 1998
Well, maybe it's not that bad. :) I have, let's see, six, count 'em, SIX of the "UF Gang" t-shirts left, and I really need to keep them all for prizes. I can't sell them, not even for twice the usual price. But you'll get your chance at one very soon. A contest should be up by the end of the week. Oh, here's a look at the artwork on the t-shirt. Thanks to Gooblet for the suggestion.

I CAN DIE NOW
09:29 PST 03 SEP 1998
Eric S. Raymond, the god of geek gods and compiler of the New Hacker's Dictionary (go buy a copy if you haven't already) mailed me today and told me that: Guy Steele agrees with my evaluation that "User Friendly" is the perfect 1990s answer to the "Crunchly" comics. I nearly sprayed Orange Zinger tea all over my screen. Guy Steele, for those not in the know, is the creator of the cool "Crunchly" comics (found in the NHD) and one of the geek gods himself. Like Eric, he has an amazing resume. My thanks to Eric and Guy. My universe is now complete.

WHERE DID YOU SAY THAT SITE WAS?
09:13 PST 03 SEP 1998
I got asked a few times about the location of the sponsor's site. The sponsor is Internet.com, a unit of Mecklermedia Corporation in Westport, CT. They're maintaining and building an archive from Sept 01, 1998, and updating daily. The site is located at http://uf.internet.com/.

THAT TEARS IT
13:09 PST 02 SEP 1998
I got this letter yesterday and nearly fell out of my chair when I read it:

Now that the ISP has been sold to iCan't Internet, a friend of mine who works for a net-type firm has actually stopped posting the strips to the outside of her cubicle as it's making her co-workers cry. The strips you're doing are hitting too close to home for them. How's that for really good social commentary?

I thought that comics are supposed to make people cry only because they laugh so hard they can't breathe, or their bum falls off, or something. Good grief. I don't think I'll ever be the same again. Thanks to Jeff Hitchin for sending this in. (I think.)

CODEWARRIOR NEEDED
09:41 PST 02 SEP 1998
It came to me in a dream: a little screen hack that involves animation and some sounds. Thing is, I'm a lame coder, so I need the assistance of a brilliant Win95/98/NT graphics programmer, and if you can do a hack for Linux so much the better. Oh, and of course you have to love User Friendly more than your left hand. :) There's no money in it, but the UF crowd will think you're way cool for doing it, and of course you get my undying thanks. Write me if you think you've got the time and the talent.

THE FAQ OF THE MATTER IS...
09:39 PST 02 SEP 1998
Don't forget that the User Friendly FAQ is available from the home page. I'll be adding to it as necessary over time. One question not covered in it that I do get asked: When do I have time to sleep? Answer: Sleep? What is this "sleep" everyone keeps talking about?

I'LL GIVE YOU STATIC!
11:20 PST 01 SEP 1998
In Yet Another Attempt to appease the gods (that would be you readers) I have added something else to my job queue: the creation of a static URL which you can bookmark and read the latest strip on. This will take a little time because of some other slightly more urgent things that need my attention. But hey, thanks for the much-needed feedback.

ILLIAD, YOU NAUGHTY MONKEY
08:50 PST 01 SEP 1998
BAD Illiad. NAUGHTY Illiad. Okay, I get the picture. I didn't put a "Latest Strip" link up on the home page. Well, it's there now. And I'll try and reverse the cartoon calendar so the latest strips are at the top and the earliest are at the bottom. That might take me a few days so bear with me. Phew, did you guys ever tell ME off... :)

CURRENT DOT GIF
08:25 PST 01 SEP 1998
The current agreement I have with Internet.com allows the publication of the comic strip on-line in two locations: Internet.com's site and here at userfriendly.org. That means I can't facilitate the publication of the latest strip anywhere else, which sadly means I can't update a current.gif file for the world to use.

Judging from the hit stats not that many people actually use the file. I'll keep an open mind though. If you desperately want some sort of automatic update made available, write me and I'll see what can be done. Maybe a CGI that delivers a strip with a text message...

WHEREFORE ART THOU CRUD PUPPY?
19:31 PST 31 AUG 1998
I guess it had to happen. I launch the site and that damnable crud puppy went and jinxed the pages. One error was a failure to close off a comment tag correctly in the comic strip pages, thereby rendering the page blank if you viewed it under anything less forgiving than MSIE 4.0. The other error was just as bad: the mailto: link on the strip pages was pointed at illiad@userfriendly.org instead of .org. Egg on my face. Thanks to Michael Silver for the heads-up.

NEW DIGS
18:48 PST 31 AUG 1998
Welcome to the revamped, relocated and recycled User Friendly Web site! I think I've finally hit on a layout that won't bother me (much) after a few weeks. Let me know what you all think. Ultimately you're the ones who influence my decisions.