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ZDNet on the Essence of Geek
sebFlyte writes "ZDNet has a feature on The Essence of Geek, which looks at the rise of the geek (and the fact that everyone's turning into one), in the years post .com boom." From the article: "For a few years, an interest in computers and technology became inextricable linked with wealth and power -- geek became chic. Technology companies suddenly became the focus of the kind of attention that had been reserved for the music or fashion industries. In the UK TV makers even went so far as to create a hip series, Attachments, based around the antics of a tech start-up."
Um...no. Owning an iPod and knowing how to use it doesn't make you a geek. Knowing how to use your Windows smartphone doesn't make you a geek. Discussing mobile phone design doesn't make you a geek, because from tfa, I don't think they were talking about protocols or other engineering aspects. Even knowing how to synchronize your email with your smartphone doesn't make you a geek. It makes you a slave, but not a geek.
Knowing how to use technical things in the prescribed manner does not make you a geek, any more than knowing the exits on an airplane makes you a flight attendent. Knowing how to use technical things in ways they were never meant to be used makes you a geek. (and this is only one small definition "geekiness.")
Saying that "we're all geeks" is like saying "everyone is special, just like you."
Mox
After all, how different is dressing up for a Star Trek Convention and a Football game? Not much...
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Until the high school cheerleaders start hanging out at the chess club, geek ain't chic.
This is just about toys. Pre-packaged, nearly idiot proof, toys.
Like, omg, I'm so totally a geek now! I can IM, and sync my ipod, and blog, and post myspace pix! And like, even I know that those popups are annoying!
I am SO geek!!!!
I still don't have my 5000 groupie girls who would spread their legs open for me en masse'....however, when I meet girls and i tell them I program they pretty much go "oh wow, you must make a lot of money" and then i snicker to myself in sadness...obviously i don't argue with them (what girl wants a poor guy) but hey :) It is, however, more accepted. I know many hot girls who love places like myspace, AIM, etc.
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
"For a few years, an interest in computers and technology became inextricable linked with wealth and power -- geek became chic"
I'm pretty sure this is one of the signs of the apocalypse
unlike nerd and anorak, which still tend to be used as insults Dude, I would HATE to be called an anorak! After all, who WOULD want to be identified as "a usually pullover hooded jacket long enough to cover the hips". So insulting.
He claims that increasingly, "we're all geeks" -- even if a lot of people don't care to admit it.
I remember when a geek was a guy who was extremely intelligent, read books, didn't dress well or had the latest fashions, never had a good haircut/hygiene, was not good at sports and never made out with girls.
If we are all indeed 'geeks' than the word geek doesn't mean anything. Or maybe we're just all nerds trying to be geeks?
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Frankly the geek bar seems to be getting lower not higher.
I know people that just because they can us Windows think they are a "Geek". I hate the term geek I like the term hacker. If you can not create technology then you are not a hacker. If you can code, solder, or wire wrap then you are a hacker. If you can IM you are not. If you can write an IM then you are.
It is about creation not use.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
It's smells like a mix of Dorito's and Mom's basement
The Essence of Geek:
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Mountain Dew: cooled to room temperature
12 fl oz generic beer
2 oz Cheetos: crushed to fine powder
5 oz Bacon strips: fried till crisp
0.5 lb butter: at room temperature
0.5 lbs onions: ground to fine consistency
2 nos. matured socks: preferably fermented for 3 days
Preparation:
Preparation Time: 5 minutes.
Heat butter in pan until gently melting. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer till delicious smell begins to whaffle through kitchen. Cool to room temperature, drain and apply in generous proportion.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Now the guys who picked on me are geeks too?
Sounds like a line of new cologne from Ralph Loren aimed at today's IT workers.
Sold in compressed air duster cans
When did wealth mean "big credit lines?"
Most geeks I meet have negative net equity due to outrageous debt loads. Maybe it's just Chicago? It seems that every geek here thinks they can live like Sergei Brin.
I wonder if all the common people see are (leased) BMW's, (interest-only mortgaged) 5-bedroom homes and (almost maxed out) platinum cards when they see supergeeks?
Talk about keeping up with the Joneses.
Um...no. Owning an iPod and knowing how to use it doesn't make you a geek. Knowing how to use your Windows smartphone doesn't make you a geek. Discussing mobile phone design doesn't make you a geek, because from tfa, I don't think they were talking about protocols or other engineering aspects. Even knowing how to synchronize your email with your smartphone doesn't make you a geek. It makes you a slave, but not a geek.
Yeah, but some teen who wants to *fit-in* with the geeky kids, might buy these things thanking it helps. It's like when you were in high school, and saw that guy walking about with a tie dye Dead shirt on. He wasn't a hippy, and likly never found a Dead song that he liked, and never when to the show, but he did buy a tie dye shirt. Very trendy.
Now, I've got a cs degree, and I know I geek my friends out with blab that they don't care about, but I don't own an iPod because of the DRM issues. Some people might say that someone who won't buy an iPod because of the DRM issues is a bigger geek than someone who owns them. However, the article is making a point. It does't matter if these people have any geek-cred. It's obvious that they want that geek-cred, just like the dude with the tie dye shirt.
No doubt the term "geek" has been coopted by the media to describe, basically, the digerati generation. But I have to agree with my fellow /.ers... using your ipod and knowing how to upload photos from your cell phone does not make you a geek.
Geek's don't just use technology, they understand how it is put together and desire to change or "hack" it for their own purposes. A geek molds technology to suit him, a regular schmoe makes do with what has been handed his way by 3com, intel, microsoft, etc, etc.
That is the difference.
CommentBot 0.7a running with args "-module irritate,disagree -target random"
We are in the midst of the Glorius Geek Revolution. Sure, high school sucks for geeks. It sucked for me, and it still sucks for most geeks today, but the life after high school has dramtically changed for the geek, for the better.
A lot of the rags to riches stories involves geeks. South Park's creators, Family Guy's creator, Matt Groenig, Woz and Steve Jobs.
We live better lives than our geek forefathers. A smart, industrious geek these days often earns a better living and lifestyle than our jock counterpart.
Society is getting geekier. Take cops shows. They used to be buddy films, the cool guys with street smarts driving cool cars in chase scenes. Now the top cop show is CSI. Geeks with badges, walking around with black lights, analyzing semen. NCIS, Law and Order, The West Wing, Adult Swim... culture has definately taken a turn for the geekier end of the spectrum.
Nerd girls are doing well as well. I read somewhere that SNL producers were worried about Tina Fey in glasses, but it turns out it totally works, and she has tremendous appeal and talent.
Of course, as we start having kids and they grow up, maybe they'll be jocks, and maybe they'll be teased unmercifully by the geeks.
A geek isn't someone who knows how to use an iPod. A geek is someone who has all their Ogg Vorbis's on their bluetooth enabled PDA along with playlists, and he can walk from his house to his car to his cubicle without a skip in the beat because it seamlessly transfers between his home stereo, built in speakers in the PDA, his car stereo, and his computer's speakers at the office.
Extra points for writing a new compression algorithm to store more songs on the PDA. Bonus if you have neon lights under your car that are synchronised to the music.
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
Yeah, get outta here, you geeks!