Author's Note -- Nitrozac and Snaggy, creators of The Joy of Tech (both the site and the comic), were featured on the Apple site in the article, Geek culture in idyllic surroundings.
Along with O'Reilly author Alan Graham, we set up an AIM chat before Christmas last year to talk about tech humor, geeks, Macs, Apple legal, and Mac OS X. Now two months later, I still laugh everytime I read this transcript.
So, here it is for you, unedited and in all of its IM-flawed glory. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
You are now in chat room "Cheese Ball."
OReillyMac: Let's go
Nitrozac001: ok
OReillyMac: Alan?
alanosx: As a social commentator on all things geeky...with OS X...is the Mac geeker than ever? Is it possible we could surpass the Windows Geek quotient?
Nitrozac001: computing...
Snaggy001: heh chewing
Snaggy001: that's a loaded question... are Windows users Geeks? ;)
alanosx: Affirmative...good answer. Who are these people?
Nitrozac001: Do we want to surpass the Windows Geek quotient?:-p
OReillyMac: Oh I can see it now ...
alanosx: Only in sex appeal.
Snaggy001: the real question is can Mac users surpass Linux Geeks
Nitrozac001: as you can see we love these funny AOL faces
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OReillyMac: That is the question ...
Snaggy001: With OSX the Mac has never been geekier
OReillyMac: to bring Linux geeks into the fold
Nitrozac001: I think OSX is too GUI for the ultra-hardcore geek
alanosx: I always thought of myself as fashionable geeky...but with the Terminal I think I crossed a line somewhere.
Snaggy001: there is lots of geek glee out there in the Linux crowd over OS X
OReillyMac: I'm seeing it at the O'Reilly confs
Nitrozac001: it does, let us with geeky tendencies, explore this fascinating universe of UNIX
Snaggy001: As Nitrozac likes to say... Mac Geeks are more glamourus
alanosx: Do you think the Mac will continue to be the platform of choice among creative types once the switch to OS X is complete? In essence is the Mac still a Mac? Will the Apple experience translate to OS X?
OReillyMac: OK, here's the other side ...
alanosx: sorry go ahead.
OReillyMac: same question
OReillyMac: Getting lots of mail from designers saying that OS X isn't on their radar yet cause of the apps, Photoshop, etc
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Nitrozac001: I think the creative types will remain loyal.
Snaggy001: I think absolutely the Mac will continue to be the creative platform
Snaggy001: But it will take the major apps of course
OReillyMac: How are you two dealing with it?
Nitrozac001: once those creative apps get onboard, they'll be flocking!
Nitrozac001: I make lots of OSX icons.
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Snaggy001: Well, we are still mainly in OS 9 since our tools are still not OSx'd
alanosx: Not Classic?
Nitrozac001: we are slaves to the apps!
OReillyMac: it's so true
Snaggy001: I still have trouble in X, navigating around and such. Am resisting the Classic mode so far, just booting into X when necessary. But that will change soon.
OReillyMac: Jobs knew that all along
alanosx: If Linux fans become rapid Apple fans...I'm not sure I am comfortable with someone twice as rabid as myself. There may be some actual mouth foaming.
Nitrozac001: a friend of ours had a lot of data lost due to an OSX crash
OReillyMac: I found classic is better with more MHz
Nitrozac001: scary
OReillyMac: very
Snaggy001: heh, there's lots of drool now :)
OReillyMac: :)
Snaggy001: heh, and it was Woz
Nitrozac001: lol, mouth foaming
Nitrozac001: sounds like a family reunion!
alanosx: I use Classic with my graphics apps...
alanosx: and for the most part it is okay...
OReillyMac: I do too. Had a mental block against Classic at first.
alanosx: except with many cut and paste functions between the two.
Nitrozac001: which apps do you use in Classic?
OReillyMac: Photoshop, goLive, few odds and ends for photography
Nitrozac001: cool
Snaggy001: we are so pressed for time lately, I don't have the patience to switch entirely
OReillyMac: Great point!
Nitrozac001: we have "point and click" syndorme
alanosx: Live Motion, Photoshop...mainly.
Snaggy001: but I will within 6 months I think
Nitrozac001: I guess iMovie, is great with OSX?
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OReillyMac: Everyone is busy. Sounds like I'm stating the obvious (actually I am) but it's a reality for working artists
alanosx: Here comes a segway...zoom...I am surprised I haven’t seen a piece from you on the proposed Microsoft settlement. What are your thoughts on it?
OReillyMac: (iMovie is way cool in X)
Nitrozac001: faster artist, draw! draw! draw!
OReillyMac (11:09:54 AM): LOL
Snaggy001: We kind of poked at it a bit in this comic... http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/268.html
Snaggy001: We do have a few rough drafts of comics dealing with it, that just haven't seen light yet. We did plan to donate to every school in America a downloadable Bill Gates dartboard. Still might. :)
alanosx:: I think you should donate the cash for the dartboard...they can then choose the target of choice.
Snaggy001: hee hee
Nitrozac001: In a sick way, I admire M$'s proposed way of settling that would result in a bigger monopoly
OReillyMac: nice
Snaggy001: how about a 10 percent off from our webstore?
alanosx: I find your work hilarious, my wife does not. What’s wrong with her?
Snaggy001: she married you didn't she? *drum roll/cymbal crash*
Nitrozac001: :-p
alanosx: Hmmm...never thought of that.
Snaggy001: I think she is just teasing you
OReillyMac: I'm enjoying this ...
Nitrozac001: Maybe she considers tech to be sacred.
alanosx: That must be it.
Snaggy001: she is just irritated since you sit and laugh at the computer all the time. ;)
alanosx: You received a Cease and Desist letter from Apple recently for selling a Mac Genius t-shirt you designed. So does this mean you finally made it?
Nitrozac001: yes we jumped up and down!
Snaggy001: we can't really talk too much about it since we're still negotiating with Apple Legal, but we always used to joke and wonder when a C&D form someone might arrive.
Snaggy001: To be honest, it's not an actual "Cease and Desist", but a "Demand" letter, which I don't think ranks as high as the C&D on the Made It scale. ;) But it's true, I will probably frame it anyway.
Nitrozac001: In a sick way, it's a bit of a compliment
Snaggy001: Hopefully we can work this out with Apple... people just love that shirt.
Nitrozac001: they think it looks Apple produced.
Snaggy001: On serious note, some real Made it moments...
Snaggy001: Meeting fans for the first time at Linux World Expo, in particular, when the first fan in the line-up thanked Nitrozac for all her work. It was actually very moving, and really meant a lot to us.
OReillyMac: Speaking of that, what kind of feedback do you get?
OReillyMac: letters? proposed ideas?
alanosx: I got that once...but I was mistaken for Ricky Schroeder.
Nitrozac001: sometimes
OReillyMac: Seems like a community has formed around the site
Snaggy001: Lots of email, and post in our Forums, ideas, and suggestions occasionally
Nitrozac001: we got a good one today!
alanosx: I enjoy perusing your message boards...especially the confessions.
Nitrozac001: The forum community has bloomed
Snaggy001: It's great hearing for people within the industry that they follow our work. For instance, the iMovie team liked this iMovie comic:
Snaggy001:http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/255.html
Nitrozac001: the confessions is great, really good reading!
Snaggy001: and real Apple geniuses follow our Genius vs Genius series
OReillyMac: before OS X, the community was clearer ... now, do you think the Linux crowd will start hanging out?
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alanosx: I recently confessed I have a thing for the Go-Gos...and Nutter Butter.
Nitrozac001: Linux people love AY2K
Snaggy001: heh, they were our first fans and most loyal
OReillyMac: ahhh (I actualy like the GoGos)
alanosx: It really is like a family reunion of sorts.
alanosx: Listening to them now.
Nitrozac001: nutter butter, sounds like a good pet name.:-D
Snaggy001: We made Linux sexy with AY2K
alanosx: My lips are sealed.
OReillyMac: cute
alanosx: Have you ever received hate mail for a piece you ran?
Snaggy001: Well, never hate mail, but we have received what Nitrozac calls Control Freak mail. ;)
OReillyMac: all the time ... Oh that question was for Snaggy
alanosx: Have you ever received hate mail for a piece you ran?
Nitrozac001: Melissa recently posed in PlayBoy, you know?
Snaggy001: Of course everyone has their favorite and least favorite topics... so we sometimes get a "too much Bill Gates!" email,
Snaggy001: usually directly followed by a "not enough Bill Gates" email, or the occassional "too much Apple crap mail", which is balanced by all the "I LOVE your Mac comics!" email.
OReillyMac: Sounds healthy to me
Nitrozac001: control-freak mail, we get that
alanosx: What I love about your work is taking some of the wind out of the tech communities sails...
alanosx: we need a little break from it all.
Nitrozac001: I think there are inner cartoonists in everyone, dying to get out, and wreak havoc!
OReillyMac: Mine can't draw tho
Nitrozac001: hehehe
Snaggy001: well, it's fun playing with the real-life characters
alanosx: I think your work is much more authentic to the geek community than Dilbert.
OReillyMac: What's on the horizon hot topic wise for 2002
Snaggy001: Well Dilbert is real Office Culture
Nitrozac001: we take the wind out of their sails?
alanosx: Only when sailing.
Nitrozac001: better out of the sails, then the...
Nitrozac001: =-o
Snaggy001: he means out of their sales ;)
Nitrozac001: more authenitc than Dilbert.... music to my aol chat
Snaggy001: on the horizon... well, macWorld Expo of course
Nitrozac001: and Christmas
OReillyMac: but I mean topic wise
Nitrozac001: post christmas OReillyMac): I have a calendar ;)
alanosx: Loved the David Pogue icon...as did David...so when can we expect to see O'Reilyl icons of Derrick and I?
Nitrozac001: lol
Nitrozac001: oooh, that's where this is leading!
Nitrozac001: you want to be icons!
alanosx: My head bobbingin a dock...it is a fantasy of mine.
OReillyMac: LOL
Nitrozac001: here's one.:-$
Snaggy001: ah, the great suck up for the icon trick ;)
Nitrozac001: hee hee
Snaggy001: lol
Nitrozac001: especially lots of heads bobbing
OReillyMac: Hey you two can plug stuff you know
Nitrozac001: battling bobbing dock heads
alanosx: Please plug...
Snaggy001: Here's an exclusive: The David Pogue icon is moving to version 2.0 soon
alanosx: how about that Mac Genius shirt? ;)
OReillyMac: they might become collector's items
Nitrozac001: Snaggy made a David Pogue folder icon, with lots of David heads in the folder OReillyMac): seriously?
Snaggy001: it's going to revolutionize OSX
Nitrozac001: hey, we do have small MG shirts for sale
OReillyMac: ;)
alanosx: how small?
Nitrozac001: Baby Mac Genius O:-)
Snaggy001: hopefully we can work it out with Apple, people LOVE those shirts
Nitrozac001: it would fit a kid, or a teenage girl
Nitrozac001: or a tiny man
alanosx: I'm waiting for the boxers.
alanosx: Is that an iPod in your pocket?
Nitrozac001: Apple has to stop being Big Baby Mac Geniuses!
Snaggy001: lol
alanosx: You sure know how to persuade.
OReillyMac: Ok, parting shots?
Nitrozac001: hey, you could button tons of Mac Genius buttons to your shirt in protest!
OReillyMac: Or forget the shirt if you're serious
Nitrozac001: awwww
Nitrozac001: it's over.
Nitrozac001: I just got warmed up!
Nitrozac001: Hacker Hats
Snaggy001: somebody stop her!
Nitrozac001: um, any more questions?
OReillyMac: I did, but some how they just seem trivial now ...
Nitrozac001: those were really good
alanosx: So...when do you need the images for the icons?
Nitrozac001: heh heh
Snaggy001: So when does that OReilly Joy of Tech compilation come out? ;)
Nitrozac001: well, email them to snaggy, you never know what Santa will bring
alanosx: This had been fun.
Snaggy001: we'll be swamped with journalist and editors wanting interviews soon
Nitrozac001: yes, very fun!
Nitrozac001: better than phone interviews:-x
alanosx: And educatuional
alanosx: see I can now spell.
OReillyMac: thanks. big fun
Snaggy001: thanks!
alanosx: thanks guys!
Nitrozac001: and I got to call Apple, Big Baby Mac Geniuses
Nitrozac001: thank you!
OReillyMac (11:31:18 AM): bye!
alanosx: I am the wish granter.
alanosx: bye
Nitrozac001: /me waves bye Nitrozac001 has left the chat room.
Snaggy001: see ya
Snaggy001 has left the chat room.
Derrick Story is the author of The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers, The Digital Photography Companion, and Digital Photography Hacks, and coauthor of iPhoto: The Missing Manual, with David Pogue. You can follow him on Twitter or visit www.thedigitalstory.com.
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