Code-A-Holics Anonymous

First Appearance: Code-A-Holics Anonymous (February 6, 1999)

Code-A-Holics Anonymous is a self-help or mutual aid organization in a similar vein as Alcoholics Anonymous, only with the goal of helping hard-core computer geeks and nerds "appreciate the joys of life without resorting to electronic devices". While many attendees at CA meetings join voluntarily, others are often required to attend as part of employee improvement programs, especially when the management of these employees believe it is in their best interests to "unplug" for a while.

Like AA meetings, CA meetings tend to be informal and only loosely structured, centering primarily around open discussion. The only strict requirement is that no personal electronic devices are allowed within the building during the course of the meeting, although some groups do allow e-mail breaks every fifteen minutes for new members. Many discussions center around members sharing testimonials about their lives before and after weening themselves from electronics.

CA is first introduced in the strip when Dwayne orders Nick, Ki, and Fooker to attend, citing their "need to get out and do some real things instead of virtual ones". During the course of the meeting, all three GPF employees end up reluctantly sharing testimonials with various results. In the end, none of the three receive any real benefit from the event, although both Nick and Fooker provide some memorable entertainment.

Their experience with CA also served to introduce two reoccurring characters. Alan Sedgewikki, a prosecuting attorney and acquaintance of Nicole Duncan, volunteers his time to lead the local CA chapter, implying that he is likely a recovering Code-A-Holic himself. More importantly, however, the CA meeting serves to introduce Dexter J. Smith, who would resurface periodically for several years before becoming a full fledged main character at the beginning of Year Five.