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How To Be A Geek Goddess
stoolpigeon writes "The geek world is dominated by those of the male persuasion. For those of us working in a technology related field, or who spend a considerable amount of time pursuing high tech leisure, we usually find women to be in the minority. I've seen considerable discussion over the years on how to change this imbalance but I think it is safe to say that right now that it remains. Many women are interested in using technology, they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth. Or they may not be interested in the way most men approach it. Columnist and tech-writer Christina Tynan-Wood has attempted to come to their rescue with her book How To Be A Geek Goddess." Read below for the rest of JR's review.
How To Be A Geek Goddess
author
Christina Tynan-Wood
pages
343
publisher
No Starch Press
rating
7/10
reviewer
JR Peck
ISBN
978-1-59327-187-9
summary
Practical advice for using computers with smarts and style.
I have to say that the title misled me. I picked this book up thinking that it would be perfect for my wife. I wouldn't call her a geek, she doesn't have the same passion for working with tech stuff that I have. But she is knowledgeable and knows quite a bit more about IT than many of my guy friends. She is very comfortable working with vi and has written a decent amount of C over the years for various embedded shops. Unfortunately she found the book to be overly basic and wasn't too interested. This book is about becoming conversant in the very basics, explained with an attempt to frame everything in terms of a woman's perspective. So if you are a woman who is already very comfortable in the IT space, or if you are thinking of buying this for someone like that, you may want to dig through a copy and see if it will be useful. My guess is that it wont.
The other group that may still find this book to be useful, but to a lesser degree than they may like is anyone using any operating system other than windows. The first chapter, which discusses how to purchase a computer frames the operating systems question as "Apple or Windows?" There is no mention of any other option. As far as the options given, the author lands pretty firmly on the side of Microsoft and so when platform plays a role in topics covered later in the book it is pretty much from a Windows perspective. There are plenty of topics covered that are not really OS dependent, such as anything web related (which is a lot of the book) or the non-computer sections covering hardware like digital cameras, monitors and PDAs.
Someone who is an avid computer user and die hard fan of Linux or Apple systems may look at what I've just said and decide that this book is completely useless. And for them that is going to pretty much be the case. That leaves the question of who could use this book. It is quite possible that this could be an absolute God-send to someone who is just about computer illiterate and quite content to stay on the dominant platform of the day. By extension this could become a useful tool for the true Geek that wants off the support treadmill.
There are probably some out there who are really tired of answering questions about what type of PC to buy. Or having to drop by a relative or friend's house to set up wireless or the new printer. It could even be worse, being dragged into Frys Electronics or Best Buy and participating in purchasing a new Vista machine. The solution to busting out of that cycle could be handing over a copy of this book, and if it brings true freedom it could be worth every penny.
The topics covered in the book are dressed up in analogies to what may be considered more traditional female fare. If you find this to be bothersome, don't blame me, I'm just the messenger. Tynan-Wood discusses for instance, building a software "wardrobe." And I'd like to note that within the Windows space she does offer up many free (as in speech and beer) applications including the likes of The Gimp, Pidgin and Audacity. Tech accessories are handled in a section on "The Lust for Luxury Gear". Setting up a new system and getting things dialed in is part of the "housebreaking" process. In fact if you've ever flipped through an issue of Cosmo or Vogue, you should have a decent idea of the tone and style of discourse in this book.
All of the basics are covered including setting up a home network and how to set up proper security. Each section gives basic and practical advice on making decisions on hardware and software, almost always offering multiple options. And while the packaging is different than anything I've ever seen in a tech book, the underlying information is the same. Someone who reads this through will come away knowing the difference between adware, spyware and viruses as well as what a botnet is.
Dispersed amongst the regular text, which is accompanied by many black and white illustrations, are little "Dear Abby" type questions and their accompanying response. These give a good insight into the level of reader the book aims to help. One question answered is the following, "When my sister-in-law emails me files, the filenames always have three letters at the end that mean nothing to me. Files on my own computer don't seem to have them, so I thought it was one of her crazy systems. I deleted the letters and gave the files names I liked. Oops. You are probably laughing at me because I obviously did something stupid. Now my computer can't open any of those files. It gave me a good excuse not to read her novel or look at 2,000 blurry vacation photos but what did I do wrong?" The answer goes on to explain file types, extensions and some basics on managing them in windows.
Along with covering how to purchase and set up hardware the book covers the same for software. There is also information on security, not just local but also how to think about safely navigating the web and what is available there. The last two sections cover the social web and relationships on line, with everything from dating sites to cyber sex. There is also an entire section on watching over children and helping them to use computers safely.
The information is accurate and covers the basics very well, within the parameters I've described above. For the proverbial grandmother or mom at home, this book is probably going to give them all they need and probably just a touch more than they may want. I guess that is the bottom line. I think this book will give a novice a strong sense of confidence and independence. I am sure there are women out there who don't want to rely on anyone else to help them with computer issues but they don't want to really dig deep into highly technical information. This may be exactly what they need.
On the other hand, and I guess this comes from my more cynical side, I've dealt with plenty of men and women who don't know much about computers and they don't want to know. They seem to revel in their ignorance and are quite happy to just rely on others to keep things working for them. Unfortunately I am unaware of any way to make them read this or to make the information their own. Reading books to learn tends to fall into a geek category of its own. Until there actually is a series on this in Cosmo or they find a way to fit into American Idol or something, there will still probably be those who call on us to take care of their gear.
All that said, sometimes I forget that I'm a statistical anomaly. Most people don't run Linux, or OS X for that matter. Even more could care less about why they difference between ogg and mp3. For that mass of folks out there, especially the women, this may be the only computer book they ever find interesting. Someone like that would probably rate it a ten. I found the focus too narrow and the title set up expectations I didn't think it met so I've knocked it down to seven.
You can purchase How To Be A Geek Goddess from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
The other group that may still find this book to be useful, but to a lesser degree than they may like is anyone using any operating system other than windows. The first chapter, which discusses how to purchase a computer frames the operating systems question as "Apple or Windows?" There is no mention of any other option. As far as the options given, the author lands pretty firmly on the side of Microsoft and so when platform plays a role in topics covered later in the book it is pretty much from a Windows perspective. There are plenty of topics covered that are not really OS dependent, such as anything web related (which is a lot of the book) or the non-computer sections covering hardware like digital cameras, monitors and PDAs.
Someone who is an avid computer user and die hard fan of Linux or Apple systems may look at what I've just said and decide that this book is completely useless. And for them that is going to pretty much be the case. That leaves the question of who could use this book. It is quite possible that this could be an absolute God-send to someone who is just about computer illiterate and quite content to stay on the dominant platform of the day. By extension this could become a useful tool for the true Geek that wants off the support treadmill.
There are probably some out there who are really tired of answering questions about what type of PC to buy. Or having to drop by a relative or friend's house to set up wireless or the new printer. It could even be worse, being dragged into Frys Electronics or Best Buy and participating in purchasing a new Vista machine. The solution to busting out of that cycle could be handing over a copy of this book, and if it brings true freedom it could be worth every penny.
The topics covered in the book are dressed up in analogies to what may be considered more traditional female fare. If you find this to be bothersome, don't blame me, I'm just the messenger. Tynan-Wood discusses for instance, building a software "wardrobe." And I'd like to note that within the Windows space she does offer up many free (as in speech and beer) applications including the likes of The Gimp, Pidgin and Audacity. Tech accessories are handled in a section on "The Lust for Luxury Gear". Setting up a new system and getting things dialed in is part of the "housebreaking" process. In fact if you've ever flipped through an issue of Cosmo or Vogue, you should have a decent idea of the tone and style of discourse in this book.
All of the basics are covered including setting up a home network and how to set up proper security. Each section gives basic and practical advice on making decisions on hardware and software, almost always offering multiple options. And while the packaging is different than anything I've ever seen in a tech book, the underlying information is the same. Someone who reads this through will come away knowing the difference between adware, spyware and viruses as well as what a botnet is.
Dispersed amongst the regular text, which is accompanied by many black and white illustrations, are little "Dear Abby" type questions and their accompanying response. These give a good insight into the level of reader the book aims to help. One question answered is the following, "When my sister-in-law emails me files, the filenames always have three letters at the end that mean nothing to me. Files on my own computer don't seem to have them, so I thought it was one of her crazy systems. I deleted the letters and gave the files names I liked. Oops. You are probably laughing at me because I obviously did something stupid. Now my computer can't open any of those files. It gave me a good excuse not to read her novel or look at 2,000 blurry vacation photos but what did I do wrong?" The answer goes on to explain file types, extensions and some basics on managing them in windows.
Along with covering how to purchase and set up hardware the book covers the same for software. There is also information on security, not just local but also how to think about safely navigating the web and what is available there. The last two sections cover the social web and relationships on line, with everything from dating sites to cyber sex. There is also an entire section on watching over children and helping them to use computers safely.
The information is accurate and covers the basics very well, within the parameters I've described above. For the proverbial grandmother or mom at home, this book is probably going to give them all they need and probably just a touch more than they may want. I guess that is the bottom line. I think this book will give a novice a strong sense of confidence and independence. I am sure there are women out there who don't want to rely on anyone else to help them with computer issues but they don't want to really dig deep into highly technical information. This may be exactly what they need.
On the other hand, and I guess this comes from my more cynical side, I've dealt with plenty of men and women who don't know much about computers and they don't want to know. They seem to revel in their ignorance and are quite happy to just rely on others to keep things working for them. Unfortunately I am unaware of any way to make them read this or to make the information their own. Reading books to learn tends to fall into a geek category of its own. Until there actually is a series on this in Cosmo or they find a way to fit into American Idol or something, there will still probably be those who call on us to take care of their gear.
All that said, sometimes I forget that I'm a statistical anomaly. Most people don't run Linux, or OS X for that matter. Even more could care less about why they difference between ogg and mp3. For that mass of folks out there, especially the women, this may be the only computer book they ever find interesting. Someone like that would probably rate it a ten. I found the focus too narrow and the title set up expectations I didn't think it met so I've knocked it down to seven.
You can purchase How To Be A Geek Goddess from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
1. Be a woman. 2. ?????? 3. Profit!
All that said, sometimes I forget that I'm a statistical anomaly. Most people don't run Linux, or OS X for that matter. Even more could care less about why they difference between ogg and mp3. For that mass of folks out there, especially the women, this may be the only computer book they ever find interesting. Someone like that would probably rate it a ten. I found the focus too narrow and the title set up expectations I didn't think it met so I've knocked it down to seven.
I think it's safe to say that you're not the book's target audience.
For one thing, I'm assuming you're male.
I think she passed that class with flying colors.
Think Deeply.
343 pages to say "be a geek and be a woman".
And because demand is so much higher than supply, we don't scrutinize the first point too much, or the second.
Many women are interested in using technology, they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth.
When it comes to technology you have to be balls deep.
Reminds me of this classic --> http://www.geekchic.com/
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
- "I wouldn't call her a geek"
- "She is very comfortable working with vi"
enough said.
Tell her all she really needs is a Princess Leia slave garb costume; Every geek will drool.
With the exception of appealing to a potential silicon valley soon to be millionaire why would a woman desire to appeal to a geeks nature ?
I'm gonna get so killed for this, but one of the reason geeks are geeks is because there social ineptness allows for incredible amounts of free time to work on stuff like Linux ? or hacking my iPhone.
Sounds miss-titled. Looks like it's relying on trendy, targeted marketing for sales. Possibly a bit insulting. Wouldn't buy it for anyone whose intelligence I respected.
Any geek goddess worth her salt knows of the power, security and flexibility of Ninnle Linux.
Breathe
Tits or GTFO!
I can't imagine what of value a bunch of dirty geeks and losers who have never been laid could possibly add to this conversation. This could quite possibly be the article most irrelevant to Slashdot readers.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
First you gotta look like goddess:
http://tynanwood.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/cw2-300x225.jpg
She does not
Second you gotta be a geek.
She is not.
I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
If you found the focus to narrow, does the book claim to cover more ground? If not, then that issue can simply be explained by the fact that you are not their targeted audience. If you think that the title set up certain expectations, it is simply a case of you judging the book by its cover. That you are not their intended audience is not any fault of the book, if they did not claim that you are their intended audience.
If you think it's a 10 for their intended audience, then rate it a 10, with the caveat that the book has a specific type of audience in mind (which you have done very well throughout the review). I just don't see why you would possibly lower its rating simply because you are not their target audience.
I LOL'd heartily.
Well first Zeus needs to transform himself into an animal like a swan, or a bull, and then he seduces some comely greek lass (hopefully a goddess in her own right) and impregnates her, and if you're lucky then the offspring (you) will be a female and of a goddess type rather than a mere mortal. Of course, Aphrodite was born because Cronus cut off Ouranos' genitals and threw them into the sea. The genitals floated around in the sea for a long time turned into Aphrodite, so that's another way to be a greek goddess. Oh, and there's Hera who was eaten by her father because he thought one of his children would betray him. Luckily for her Rhia gave him some herbs that made him barf. I suppose that's better than the "floating genitals" method of conception though...
Oh wait... that title doesn't say greek does it? Nevermind.
Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
Ha! Ha! Ha! I get it. A book about being a godess - Miss-titled. Good one!
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
I'm a grad student in computer science at a prominent Canadian university, and so far, two of my supervisors were women. Almost half of the profs here are women, and they're all quite competent. They probably know much more than you ever will about algorithms...
And so far, how successful has your blatant ass-kissing been at getting you into their pants? Not very, I am guessing.
But good luck anyway! PROTIP: Try to peel your lips off your mammy's teat at some point during your life. Trust me, it opens up all sorts of avenues for you.
About ten years ago I halted a lecture at a major physics department to haul out a post-doc cad who was dissing a female guest lecturer. She was presenting a Nobel-replacement lecture, and this dick would not shut up. You want to attract women into science, and actually see them in the halls? Shut the fuck up, and treat them with respect. They know more than you.
From the title, you would expect something completely different, not a wishy-washy explanation of basic computer technology.
I submit that one of the Windows for Dummies books would be better.
I have a bad feeling about this...
I question the approach of books like this. The underlying assumption here, whether or not the reviewer agrees with me, is that women will use a computer differently. But from what's described, that's not what's in this book. Most people, men and women, need the exact same things out of their computer. (Internet, word processing, basic tasks--I'm not including gaming because I think most people not slashdot readers have use a X-box/Playstation/Wii for that these days.) These same people don't want to spend a lot of time doing what's in the setup part of the book. The extra chapters on social networking and keeping children safe online are again concepts that everyone needs. Keeping that embarrassing photo of you at last year's party (LAN or not!) private is universal. I would honestly get a female friend a book that was NOT specifically geared towards women. (God help my boyfriend if he ever gives me this!) At least I would know that it would have sound advice without all the "Gee, you're female, so this must be a Brave New World for you" marketing/targeting. The debate about the lack of women in computer science/tech/geek is separate from this. The book here is meant to get women who are non-computer literate adults able to set up a wireless connection and accessing their Facebook account safely at home. There's quite simply more to being geeky than that. If women are interested something, we'll look into it--just like men do. (As a final note, I'm sure this book will sell very well--not because it's a valid idea, but because it's an easy way to look thoughtful.)
Do your job as well as you can, and don't bring attention to the fact that you are female. They guys will know that. But bringing it up all the times makes it difficult to have a good professional relation with the other guys. Problems happened when you compensate in two ways become to passive and seem like you don't know what you are doing or too aggressive where they try to avoid you, and afraid that they will need to walk on eggshells where every decision you make needs to be second guessed. Have work with a fair amount of IT professionals who are woman, the main trick is to be professional and not put attention to you difference.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
not only do i find this book insulting to women, i also find the ridiculous sexism touted by many members of this site to be appalling.
i fired a few men like the lot of you, once. it was the best thing i ever did for my small firm. grow up, boys, and put your balls away. no one needs to see them.
My wife is an incredibly competent programmer and loves math, but she doesn't really live for it. She is very happy going nowhere near a computer for days sometimes. She's really into sports and stuff too, which is somewhat anti-geeky in my mind.
I'm happy going nowhere near a computer for days sometimes too. In fact I crave it sometimes. I find a camping trip to be an excellent way to reenergize. Or a few hours in my wood shop.
Does NOT make me less of a geek, though. I'll still think about interrupt handlers or virtual memory in the shower sometimes.
Geek isn't what you do with your time, IMHO. Geek is more about who you are.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Ridiculous assertion. Men and women approach problems differently, but that is not too say one is better than the other. For starters, distill out the socialization aspect, and then compare. I'm sure some researcher has tried, but I have not the time to look.
I will say, however, I am often surprised by the trepidation with which women approach electronic devices. Perhaps because of a male-designed UI, or maybe learned helplessness, or it could just be that a man is more likely to push a button, pull a lever, or stick a finger in something that gives us an edge in certain areas. I don't know...
One more thing - being good with money has nothing to do with gender. In fact, I would lean towards women being more fiscally responsible.
Help fight poverty: Punch a poor person.
From the review it sound like it should be titled : How To Be A Geek Goddess Poser
The description makes it sound like it is for women who aren't really interested in geeky pursuits per se, but find them selves working with/forced to socialize with geek type people. it's seems like the people this book is targeted toward are only interested in the most superficial aspects of geekdom in order to try to give the appearance of fitting in with a certain type of crowd.
Sit in front of the computer with webcam focused on cleavage
You are confusing masculinity with misogyny. The two are quite different. You clearly possess the latter rather than the former.
Be as skilled and skillful as a Geek God.
Just dressing like your favorite 'Matrix' character doesn't cut it for chicks, anymore than it does for male Geek wannabes.
Don't assume you'll get cred points just for trying, or talking the talk.
Yes, a lot of sychophantic and hopeful male wannabe Geek Gods will mod you up in life just for being a female, but Geeks who are clueful won't rate you as a fellow geek unless you can demonstrate equal or superior cluefulness.
And lose the black outfits and FM boots, they're so 'Hackers'; You're making yourself look like just another wannabe...
Don't forget the schizo chick who requires you to constantly tinker with her to get her to do even simple shit (Linux guru).
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
You mean the girl who, once you get past her somewhat confusing exterior, is actually capable, passionate, and a friend for life?
It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
I don't care what gender or race you are, you can try to act like a geek, but won't ever be one if you aren't already (in which case it's not acting) - that only puts you up against people who really are geeks/nerds/tech heads/etc and shows just how much fail you really are...
No, it's pretty much true. Most women do not use logic or reasoning. They can't even manage money properly. I for one do not want the vast majority of women to be programmers that would be working on anything of mine.
Looking at your comments page (out of vague curiosity to see if you're a genuine troll or just an ordinary user saying something vaguely trollish), I notice that this is your second comment. Your only other comment was made way back in June 2005.
WTF? You came back after three years to say that? Or did the original owner, realising that despite its relatively high number it was more desirable than a new seven-digit account and flog it to you on eBay for $3.27?
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
I don't think we should worry about "gender imbalances" in different fields. We'd all like to think "IT" is special, but it's just another career. Let's level with ourselves here.
Plus, who wants to spend long hours at work with pizza-stained unfashionable people with poor social skills under the constant fear of being outsourced to a $3/hr PhD in Timbuktu?
Just do what you like and do it well.
Table-ized A.I.
Have a genuine passion for technology.
Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of women will naturally fail at that key point. No need to write a book that goes beyond that one requirement.
Olivia Munn
Finally a book dedicated to pitching the female gender to the oversexed, jaded with female attention and amazingly discriminating world of geeks. Ummm, yay.
I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
Looking at your comments page (out of vague curiosity to see if you're a genuine troll or just an ordinary user saying something vaguely trollish), I notice that this is your second comment. Your only other comment was made way back in June 2005.
The "strong, silent" type, evidently.
Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
Or... and I'm going out on a limb here... many women don't want men telling them what they want. "Just don't want to dive into quite the same depth"? Dear lord.
I will say, however, I am often surprised by the trepidation with which women approach electronic devices. This is entirely learned cultural behavior. It has nothing to do with inherent gender differences. My daughter doesn't hesitate at all to click everywhere or push every button to find out what they do, and is very good and finding new ways of locking up Windows apps. It is just like the local skate board park; boys are encouraged to take risks, while girls are encouraged to be more cautious because from the standpoint of propagation of the species, males are more expendable than females. As far as being good with money, again, that is learned, not innate behavior. My wife is an absolute idiot when it comes to technical issues, but because she grew up in a culture where haggling was a way of life, she is much better at financial negotiations than I am, and I have learned to just shut up and let her do her thing (at times, it is quite entertaining to watch her deal with experienced salespeople). Also, masculine and feminine traits are not binary differences; they are a continuum. There is enough variation within the genders that some women do take a much more "masculine" approach to problems than some men. This would be much more so if boys and girls didn't receive such different cultural indoctrination. Sadly enough, despite my best efforts to provide a gender-neutral upbringing, although my daughter enjoys playing with trucks, climbing trees, and wants to play hockey as much as play with dolls, her favorite color is pink and she really enjoys dressing up in fancy dresses and wearing makeup. And had 3 "boyfriends" in first grade. Sigh...
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Social retardation knows no bounds, particularly amongst the /. crowd. The sad truth is that most of us could do with a copy of Women for Dummies (which, suprisingly does not exist. Hmmm, maybe there's a product opportunity there)...
1. Write Women for Dummies. /.
2. Post review to
3. Profit.
Look here to see how step (1) is done in the Linux kernel. Sourceforge has more details
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I've seen considerable discussion over the years on how to change this imbalance
Just have a lot of geek guys read the Goddess book. Some will want to convert.
All you have to do is focus to the point of obsession on computer programming and computers in general. ( Or whatever you want your geekery to consist of.) Constantly read every book you can find on the things that interest you. Write programs, figure out why the programs don't work. Write harder and harder programs until you are making things that amaze people routinely. Learn theory and practice until you dream about programming every night.
Oh, and during this time, only socialize with other people that share your obsession.
Don't goto parties, on dates, or to sporting events. You must be so focused on your obsession that it is a detriment to everything else in your life.
If you are forced to goto a family gathering, then take a computer book to read or program some small portable device until you can get home to programming again.
If you are wasting an evening out on a date that is a whole night that someone else has to become geekier than you.
Then and only then will you have earned the title of geek and be accepted into our elite circle of socially inept tech gods.
Almost 100 comments now and nobody's pointed out that Kim Komando has already claimed the title "America's Digital Goddess"?
I mean it says it right on her website so it must be true.
And no, she doesn't run Linux. She could possibly have a beowulf clustrer, though.
1 in 4 Maine children in struggle with hunger.
Probably, women take the approach, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," whereas for men, it's more like "If it ain't broke, break it."
The whole idea of putting it back together into a functional form is little more than an afterthought, when after it has been broken, you need it but only have the pieces.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
By your argument, both straight women and gay men should excel at video games that make use of joysticks, and straight men and lesbians should be very adept with those stupid little nubbin keyboard mice things.
Or vice versa for the straight people, depending on how much of the time they spend doing it themselves.
...they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth. Or they may not be interested in the way most men approach it.
So... they aren't geeks. What's the problem again?
semantics are everything!
One more thing - being good with money has nothing to do with gender. In fact, I would lean towards women being more fiscally responsible.
Did you change your mind between those two sentences?
and the geek says "if it is not broken, then it does not yet have enough features"
...no two people are not on fire.
is to be as good with technology as a man is or better. She ought to be able to pull her own weight as anyone else can. She should not weasel her way out of work by claiming to be female and that gives her special treatment to goof off by gossiping, or calling other coworkers names, or calling the men idiots because we write code differently than she does, or cry when she does not get her way.
A Geek Goddess should be treated as an equal to a man, there should be no gender discrimination, that is how employment law states it.
Some women can be Geek Goddesses, and they are great to work with. Other women are not Geek Goddesses and they weasel their way out of work because they are female and use that fact to manipulate and control males. Women who were not Geek Goddesses I had to clean up their messes and pick up the slack for them when they weaseled their way out of work. I also had to put up with their insults and gossips and office politics and games. A Geek Goddess does none of that.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
don't just wish for "a goddess" or you will end up with Kali-Ma. Trust me on this.
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
$ finger woman
finger: woman not found
$ man woman
man: no entry for woman
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
Does "of the male persuasion" imply that zygotes debate the matter and decide their own gender?
I like females.
You, sir, are definitely in the wrong building. Security will see you out. HAND.
=Smidge=
Is it just my observation, or is eldavojohn an idiot?
Yes, and even more unfortunate, the book was written by a woman, who *thinks* she knows what she's talking about and the gender she thinks she's talking to.
But the mysogeny isn't limited to tech/IT crowds. I see way more sexism in a locker room full of jocks than I do with geeks, and yet the jocks get all the dates, so who are the geeks to learn social skills from?
The geeks think it's acceptable to talk that way, because the women put up with the harassment when it's coming from good-looking dipwads.
Frankly; I think there's hostility from both sides; the geek males because they are always dumped in favor of some brainless but handsome jerk, and the women create an aura of "I'm too good for you", which creates frustration, leading to more hostility from the male geeks.
If you think you've really got a handle on the female geek, then please, write a book (or a blog), and set the record straight. There must be a market out there is this kind of trash could get published.
If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
You have'nt read the man manpage now have you?
Why the sigh? It sounds like her innate interest and enjoyment govern her activities more than an external society's established biases. IMHO, a result like this is the main reason you'd want to raise a child in as gender-neutral enviornment as possible. So far you have taught her that she can be the person she actually wants to be, and not just live within other people's expectations. If anything this is a significant success not something to regret!
Rule 16 of the internet - There are NO girls on the internets.
Looks like snowgirl had mod points today.... hooray for you!
being good with money has nothing to do with gender. In fact, I would lean towards women being more fiscally responsible.
So which is it? You can't have it both ways.
No, that WAS BeOS. Unfortunately she went extinct.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
I picked this book up thinking that it would be perfect for my wife. ... She is very comfortable working with vi...
IMHO, any woman who even knows what vi is automatically qualifies for a platinum geek card. Seriously, that's not common. The male:female linux-user ratio has to be hundreds to one, and even then some of those are Ubuntu with OpenOffice and vi is never touched.
Damn you for getting my hopes up :( I went to ebay and searched... alas, nothing slashdot related at all there, much less accounts.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
Why should anyone ask a girl to do a man job?
Women generally aren't into logical things like math, computers and saving money.
It's easier to focus on being pretty and catching the guy who'll do all the grunt work for you to earn that pile of money.
It's just too ingrained into humans which is why, for instance, female gold diggers are a dime a dozen but male gold diggers are much more rare.
Naturally I'd very much prefer to find a woman who is a geek but realistically I know I'd get luckier by looking for a woman who thinks she's a geek because she plays video games.
Here are a few reasons why I was first attracted to my wife (other than the physical aspects):
1) She had her own set of tools: screwdrivers, socket wrenches, drill etc.
2) Could take apart a computer, and put it back together, and it would work.
3) Could setup a TV and/or home stereo.
4) Was/Is a damn good cook and actually understands the process.
5) Fairly capable with woodworking (haha) and plumbing (haha again).
6) Was close to getting her degree.
7) Started playing WoW. Not addicted, but very casual.
Bear in mind that she hates Star Wars, mathematics, bears, and a bunch of other stuff that I really enjoy (expect for the bears).
The point is that I didnt start dating her because she could bust out a proof of the Chinese Remainder Theorem in 3 minutes. Or because she enjoyed improving image compression algorithms. Or even because she could use Linux from the command prompt. It was simply because her "attitude" or her "way of doing things" was completely in line with my way of doing things.
A geek is by nature inquisitive, imaginative, intelligent (probably on the right side of the curve), and whole bunch of other things. But most of all, they are *self reliant*. I refuse to get interrupted from whatever nontrivial task I am doing for something ridiculous. There is no need for me to "tag along" with her if she needs milk. If we have spark plugs in the shop, and she needs to change her spark plug, then she should be able to do that. If the car tire needs changing, then I have no problem helping with that, because its usually a complete pain in arse.
If a women is self reliant, self confident, and willing to learn, then they are 80% of the way there in terms of being a "Geek Goddess". The assumption that to be a good match for a geek a woman must be the equivalent of said geek, with the exception of gender is very shortsighted. Its much more fundamental.
...this was how your boyfriend proposed to you...
just have a Vagina.
I suspect that his sigh was in response to the 3 "boyfriends"...
... don't call it being a geek godess. I don't call myself a geek god - just a geek. Or nerd. If that title in itself is not sufficient for someone, they should just give up and move on to another kind of identity.
weinersmith
I knew the term had morphed beyond recognition when I heard one guy say, "Yeah, I'm on like three different teams, plus I do weight lifting and I bike everywhere. I'm a total sports geek."
I also met a guy who was a self-proclaimed, "Rock climbing geek."
I have to say, though, that I'm rather happy that the term has taken on this tone. It makes the world seem less mean-spirited.
-FL
As a woman I have to say the book sounds pretty damn patronising. E.G. My gran (78 years old) is well ahead of this book.
While I couldn't claim to be a geek I am fairly competent using linux; command lines etc. However it would be nice to see a book which does give a thorough explanation of how - generally - to use a linux OS. I say this as most of what I've learnt has been from my boyfriend who is a 'geek', consequently he always explains things in a huge amount of detail, going off on all sorts of tangents. I then find myself lost in a load of terminology and/or parameters knowing vaguely what each one does and vaguely how to use them but not being able to place them in the OS as a whole or therefore being able to use all of them confidently.
Having an overall view of how a linux OS works (and the different terms used) would undoubtedly help people who are new to linux.
So if any of you geeks out there think you could write a book which gives an overall view of how to use linux (while explaining terminology and parameters clearly to those of us who aren't yet 'geeks') please do. You may find that the result would be an increase in the number of 'geek godesses' ;)
No, it's pretty much true. Most women do not use logic or reasoning. They can't even manage money properly.
Absolutely true yet still misleading. Most people do not use logic or reasoning. Most people can't manage money properly.
The lack of women in IT seems to be due to a lack of interest, not a lack of ability.
Ah yes, I see your point now!
The real problem (anoning this because I'm a female geek) is that geeks somehow think they're entitled to a gorgeous geek girl when in my experience, this is rarely the case. Any geek could get a female geek if he didn't expect a thin, gorgeous girl who (geek or not) is ENTIRELY out of their league.
Looks and leagues are a reality, here. Start looking for female geeks instead of gorgeous female geeks and you will find a woman. Unless you, yourself, are a gorgeous male geek (and let's be real, how many geeks qualify in this department?), stop looking at only pretty girls.
If you can't conscion being with an overweight or ugly (or both) geek, then it should be a logical step that you are very unlikely to meet a woman who shares your indulgence in geekery.
All you need to be is a girl on any gaming forum and your a geek goddess
By your argument, both straight women and gay men should excel at video games that make use of joysticks, and straight men and lesbians should be very adept with those stupid little nubbin keyboard mice things.
Or vice versa for the straight people, depending on how much of the time they spend doing it themselves.
Huh.....I always did like those nubbin keyboard mice things.
... oversexed ... geeks ...
From which world do you come from? How do I join?
You mean the girl who, once you get past her somewhat confusing exterior, is actually capable, passionate, and a friend for life?
Those women were phased out years ago......netcraft confirms it.
Geek Chic sucks, a book to self promoting whores that can't distinguish a keyboard from a mouse and think Schrodinger's cat is actually a race.
Do you really think that by wearing Space Invaders T-Shirts and glasses you are geek? At most you'll be the f*ck friend of some couple of jocks in a frat party.
Women generally aren't into logical things
If you think computers are logical, then, dude, i wonder what you have been doing the last 20 years? Soldering together OR gates?
If computers were truly logical, anybody could do cool stuff with them, not just an inner circle of nerds. But in fact most things that are accepted as logical in computers are just totally obnoxious, based on 70s or 80s design decisions and interated over and over, retro-fit onto new metaphors and put into surprising contexts.
Ironically in this culture of seaming newness it's only possible to understand it all if you know the history. Not logical bur archaeological.
Now that I'm 30, I realize why, as a young geek, I was, at least for a little while, mistreated.
Because I was CREEPY.
And, let's face it, people don't like creepy people.
This is doubly-true for members of the opposite gender. It's not that girls don't talk to nerds because they have something against people who are smart. They don't talk to nerds because nerds act creepy all the time!
I eventually learned how to not be creepy, and girls stopped treating me like a creep. Didn't get any dumber, didn't act any dumber, and in fact, my intelligence became a great asset - once I stopped acting like a creep.
Now, don't feel bad, I didn't become consciously aware of the problem until about a month ago, and I'm 30. But here are some signs that the real reason girls don't interact with you is because you are a creep:
- Do you regularly find yourself staring at girls you don't ever muster up the balls to talk to? Creepy!
- When you do eventually try to escalate a social relationship with a girl, to you find yourself asking someone who you've said a few sentences to in the course of the past week "Would you like to go out some time?"
- Do you arrange your movements to constantly "accidentally" run into a girl where you know where she'll be?
- Do you think every girl you happen to work with (class work, real work) who isn't mean to you must really like you?
So to bring this back on-topic, why is it that there are not more women in geek fields?
Because geek fields are the refuge of the socially inept, and the socially inept are creepy!
The only thing that needs to be done to get more women in geek fields is just teach geeks how to talk to the opposite sex without being total creeps about it.
paintball
Many women are interested in using technology, they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth. Or they may not be interested in the way most men approach it.
But getting deeper into it is what makes a geek. If you don't want a deeper understanding of it then you don't want to be a geek. Well, unless, like a lot of people, you think that this is something that you can buy off the shelf.
Most likely the latter. I've noticed that with a lot of men it's a 'size' contest. I was more interested in knowing about it because that's how I avoid getting taken to the cleaners by people. I started out in cars back in the 70's and discovered that I like it and that was it.
Well, actually I suppose I started back when I was given my brother's hand-me-down toys. I spent more time playing with the army men, spaceships and Legos than the 'proper' toys that some relatives insisted I should have.
Frankly, I think the former is part of the reason why there are relatively few women in tech. It's that classic "Power is about getting people to do it for you, silly." mentality. In that traditional female power mindset the only reason for a woman to bother learning this stuff is if she's somehow a failure as a woman.
At least that's what I was told.
No, it's pretty much true. Most women do not use logic or reasoning. They can't even manage money properly.
Absolutely true yet still misleading. Most people do not use logic or reasoning. Most people can't manage money properly.
Best comment in the thread. It's definitely a cultural thing. For the first 10 or so years of my career, developers I knew had a 20:1 male:female ratio. Now, for younger developers, it's 2:1. The difference? 80% of the younger developers I work with now were born in India (and 80% of them are developers because that's the career that their parents chose for them).
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Sad to say the most offensive part about this, is the fact that the book is written by a woman. Normally we see this type of low level tripe written by men who wish to have their women to be more geekier, so that way we will tolerate their need for more processing power, and actually enjoy watching star wars for the 90 billionth time j/k. But having a understanding of how to manipulate files within a windows based OS or knowing that there are other OS's even available does not a geek make. But lets face it no book is going to make a geek, if there was the 'How to make a Geek God' book and i gave it to a man its not going to make him sit through an entire star trek movie marathon with me or understand when i start hammering at the keys when my kernel seg faults. You're either a geek or you aren't. period. "Rule 16 of the internet - There are NO girls on the internets." Rule Broken...
But if you want to learn Linux, why does it have to be pink?
That is what this book seems to assume, that special treatment is needed for women to learn the same thing men do. That you need another manual just because you can't pee standing up.
Maybe we should hack 'man' so that its pages are displayed with little hearts above the i and the bash shell is renamed to caress?
No, that would be silly and patronizing. We don't teach other subjects in gender specific ways do we?
The problem with learning Linux is that there isn't a real market as yet that dedicates itself to teaching it in the first place. That is because all the people who learned it, learned it the hard way and since they did it the hard way they see little point in making it easy for others. Not so much out of malice but as in "why should I be the one to write such an understandable guide? I got a job!".
I have trained people myself in the past with good success but it remains hard to find the right lingo to use. What does a person know and what don't they know? Just today I explained to a female who is decidely non-techie how the web works. It remains tricky to find just how much you got to explain even the simplest things. It is like talking to a foreigner who is blind. You don't know if that person doesn't simply not know what the red is in english OR wether they even lack the concept of the color red.
Explain everything and you not only need an ungodly amount of time but you also risk loosing your audience to boredom and even being insulted. Explain to little and their eyes glaze over as they loose track and don't follow anything anymore, even bits they might have understood if they hadn't lost track earlier.
Teaching people is hard. Which is why its pays so badly.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
If that's so, it probably won't continue. The majority of the frmale developers pushed into it will either cut the string and do what they want instead of development, or they'll continue to be pushed around their parents, get married, and stop working.
How To Be A Geek Goddess
I want to be Athena!
I've dealt with plenty of men and women who don't know much about computers and they don't want to know. They seem to revel in their ignorance and are quite happy to just rely on others to keep things working for them.
I've run into quite a few people like this, who proudly say "I don't use computers", and to me it would be no less horrifying to hear them smugly declare "I don't know how to read". Where did people get the idea that not being able to operate the gateway to modern information exchange is anything but a personal deficit?
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
Indian women (and men) seem to marry young - almost all of the working developers I know are married with children, even the interns.
This is no different from parental pressure to be a doctor or lawyer in America - once you make it, and have a very high paying job you had to fight for, you tend to stick with it. And software developers make more than doctors or lawyers in India (and have more social prestige, at least if employed by a multinational).
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Girls don't listen to this, just be yourselves dammit!
But... the future refused to change.
Lying about and to women is a great way to try and scare them out of a profession. That's a huge reason why there aren't so many women in programming -- because they'd have to spend every damn day fighting people like you. I suspect you know it, too.
You can be persuaded to be a man or woman now?
It doesn't, though pink, and femme oriented things in general, have their place.
Want man pages with little hearts?
It doesn't work too well because of the monospace vs proportional issues.
I don't think that's quite true. There are groups of people that ostracize female nerds/geeks, yes - in the example you're replying to, it's the non-nerd users who are calling for tech support who think a female could never be knowledgeable in such things.
Within most nerdy circles females are revered. An earlier thread discussed how nerdy types typically are more likely to help out a girl with anything simply because they're female - for many nerds the simple act of interacting with a female is enough to drive him to do something, because that female interaction happens relatively rarely. The idea of having a relationship beyond being friends or even just acquaintances in many cases doesn't even play into it. Though most people trip over themselves to help out females because of the thought of sex, that is not necessarily the case with nerds who just long for any interaction with females. It is not easy to have a lot of interaction with females when the only people who will be your good friends are fellow nerds, because there are very few female nerds, and thus fewer possible female friends.
So if a nerd *does* have a nerdy female friend, that may be their only outlet for regular interaction with females, which most guys crave for. And especially because nerds are more likely to not handle social situations well, it's easy for them (by "them" I mean "us", or at least I will include myself) to lay it on too thick and come on too strong, even if nothing beyond friendship is being implied.
That is the real problem - geek girls get *too much* attention from geek guys, because they outnumber them by a huge margin.
Yes, there are many different nerd and geek sub-types. I don't speak for all of them. I do know there certainly are immature ones who regress to playground behavior, as you've described. If you think of people you know like that, chances are they're the ones you take least seriously anyway.
It actually takes much more time than that. I keep myself very well groomed but it annoys me every day. It really does take a lot of time - time that I could be reading slashdot!
It *is* a larger personality issue. Most nerds I know prioritize things very differently than non-nerds. I'm much more willing to spend time doing certain things that non-nerds would consider a complete waste of time, than things that non-nerds consider essential (including showering and doing laundry, but non-grooming related stuff also.)
Thanks for proving the point. MOST people manage to figure out talking to the opposite gender in high school.
I was also doing quite fine with the ladies in my early 20's. That doesn't change the fact that I was doing quite NOT fine prior to then. Nor does my later success change the fact that while, in my early 20's, I had managed to snap out of my creepiness and relate quite well to the opposite gender *AND* take engineering classes, 95% of my peers in those engineering classes had not and were still incredibly creepy.
In fact, it was a running joke amongst my non-engineering friends... "Wow, engineering, that must suck, with only a few girls per class!", to which the standard reply was "Not when I'm the only guy in class who can talk to girls!"
Look at it this way. Think of a fairly female-hostile environment. Let's say, maybe, the army. Lots of testosterone, general mistrust of women's abilities, yadda yadda. Now, take all of that, and on top of it add CREEPY guys. That's geekdom - the most hostile environment for your average female, as not only does she have to put up with a male dominated environment, she has to put up with a male-dominated environment dominated by CREEPY males.
paintball
Well, it's true that there aren't as many female nerds as male nerds.
But there is a vast and growing army of female dorks.
Probably about three quarters of all fanfiction is written by women. Go to a comic, anime, or other such dorky conference, and it'll be swarming with women. Even the gaming scene has been experiencing an influx of females in recent years. Clearly women have no distaste for pouring their time and devotion into socially-marginalized pursuits with almost unsettling gusto.
So why do so few women get into IT and computer science? Read all of the comments on this article for your answer. Be sure to also read 0 and -1 modded posts.
Some people are right, some people are wrong, some people are perfect illustrations of the problem itself. Here is a very elegant little microcosm of the IT gender dilemma.
So, how do you solve it?
History has shown that you can't wait for people to change their hearts and minds on their own. They never will. The behavior must change first, and then, little by little, people will start to realize: "Oh, those black kids actually do learn the same as our kids when given an equal opportunity to succeed. That social stigma was totally ungrounded in reality. I can't believe those racist people used to segregate our children, how awful."
If anyone wants to see more women entering into IT, first give them incentives to do so. Something that will offset the uninviting yet inevitable social unpleasantness that they will have to deal with in the workplace. Scholarships, sign-on bonuses, any number of things might help. Start with students entering college--become a greater presence at job fairs and the like, and give female students reasons to consider such a field of study.
IT guys aren't inherently unpleasant or bigoted. In fact, in my experience, and perhaps because of the nature of the work itself, people in IT are very open-minded individuals, even if some are a little socially stunted. In time, men will learn how to work with women--if not as perfect equals, then at least as well as they do in most other fields.
But that can't happen if hardly any women ever show up.
Give them a reason to join that outweighs the discomfort of overturning a social stereotype, and over time, you'll see more women in the field.
Childbirth makes women stupid. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are approximately 20% less intelligent than before pregnancy. I believe they (can, potentially) eventually recover from it, but it's largely determined on whether they get enough (I think it was) amino and trans-fatty acids in their diet. (Whatever the acids/fats were, it's whatever is found in fish/cod/etc. oils.)
I also believe my wife told me something about how breastfeeding actually results in a more complete, quicker intelligence recovery (again, provided there's sufficient nutrients to rebuild the brain).
I used to know a bright, funny girl who had a kid. She had the kid and put it up for adoption. For whatever reason (quite possibly diet - she didn't eat all that well) she was seemingly permanently dull after that, and not all that lively/funny, either.
I'm not so good at remembering this stuff (or any 'stuff', really, like what it was I was supposed to do before going to bed tonight... hmmm). That's my wife's domain. She's the smart one (no, really). Guess (smart) women can afford to lose a little intelligence. :P
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
"On the other hand, and I guess this comes from my more cynical side, I've dealt with plenty of men and women who don't know much about {computers | cooking | vehicle maintenance | electricity | multivariate analysis | television production | plumbing | town planning | home repair | hydrology | drilling holes | timber harvesting | fishing | animal husbandry | cheesemaking | medicine | telephony | building | financial planning | capital raising | hairdressing | marketing | petroleum refining | chemical engineering | injection moulding | physical chemistry} and they don't want to know. They seem to revel in their ignorance and are quite happy to just rely on others to keep things working for them."
I think you get my point. There's a million things you don't know much about, don't want to know much about, and don't need to know much about. That's why you pay other people to look after those things for you.
There's something in the psyche of self-described "computer nerds" that can't comprehend / isn't interested in comprehending why other people don't care about them beyond the absolute basics of day-to-day use. Your mechanic doesn't berate you for not knowing anything about spanners beyond "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey", does he? (note: your gasfitter might...)
What part of "a well regulated militia" do you not understand?
I wouldn't call her a geek, she doesn't have the same passion for working with tech stuff that I have. But she is knowledgeable and knows quite a bit more about IT than many of my guy friends. She is very comfortable working with vi
For the sake of all that is holy, good god man, teach her emacs!
I take issue with this description of a geek goddess. For many many years being a geek goddess had nothing to do with computers, IT, Linux or general intelligence at all. It has everything to do with being large chested, pale, into comics, anime or D&D and having an unfortunate penchant for squeezing into black corsets. A geek goddess hangs out with male geeks, the usual ratio being 1:5 and she viciously defends her minions from other geek goddesses with biting sarcasm or flaunting her 'assets' to cause confusion and distraction. A geek goddess enjoys cute Japanese rodents, she devours pocky and will die her hair with the frequency of an emo girl on speed. To be honest, writing a book about THIS type of girl would be much more entertaining.
well i think several things make you qualify for that
a) Loosing a bag of tool in Space
b) Creating a C64 fitting in a joystick
c) being one of the first Radiation victims and beeing the only person receicing nobel prizes in two different sciences
d) Creating an important theorem on symmetries and conservation laws
Dedication? Women who actually persue a career in a field like Computer Science or Electrical Engineering have way more dedication than you could possibly imagine.
Hey, I have the utmost respect for the 2% of the population that have the brains to tackle an EE or CS degree at the PhD level. Doubly so for the .01% of those who are women.
Just read through some of the sexist comments on this article - women should just learn how to use a webcam so it can be pointed at their cleavage? Who says that? Sad part is that some of you actually do make comments like that to our faces.
Ah, yes, and since that person is standing in front of you saying that, as a fairly intelligent person, you should be able to tell that he is not only a virgin, but reeks of "I just played Halo for 17 straight hours". Please do not let socially inept nerds like this deter you from your goals.
This is my daily experience as a CS PhD student in a top program. Anyway, point being, we deal with all of the bullshit sexual harassment and discrimination from our male colleagues every day and put up with it because we love what we do and are dedicated to it.
Unfortunately, even in Marketing, you're going to put up with some levels of sexual harassment, just like the veteran SysAdmin get tired of being tagged as the "IT weenie" in corporate business regardless of experience. Again, don't let it deter you. Believe me when I say women in this field make the rest of us geeks look good. If we say stupid sexist shit to you, please forgive us. Our social skills suck, remember?
My wife is an incredibly competent programmer and loves math, but she doesn't really live for it. She is very happy going nowhere near a computer for days sometimes. She's really into sports and stuff too, which is somewhat anti-geeky in my mind
Hmmnn... Have you had sex yet? (I mean other than oral). Have you seen her naked yet?
Sorry- I am thinking now of that movie "The Cryo Game" or some geeky title like that...
I for one do not want the vast majority of women to be programmers that would be working on anything of mine.
I don't want the vast majority of people to be programmers working on anything of mine. Hell, I don't want the vast majority of programmers working on anything of mine!
Need to type accents and special characters in Windows? Use FrKeys
There is only one that qualifies (ok, that I know of). She's an Arabic Geek Godess and can be watched here: http://www.ngn.nl/ngn/weblogs/alex-de-jong/afleveringen-archief/november-2008/teched-upflush-2-online/?waxtrapp=nshfvHsHyoOtvOXEaMdMuCcawWpcwW
(starts at 4:40) Remind you, this is a MVP. So far for the 'Geek'-part. For the Godess-part, you be the judge.
Normal-looking female geeks exist. Sometime in their teens they just learn to hide their geekiness (propably because of peer pressure, but I'm just guessing here.)
;)
They will not admit their geekiness to you before they know you well and have determined you to be a fellow geek.
Also if you are both still in school of some kind, well, you're out of luck. She would get shunned by her peers were she openly associating herself with (eww) geeks.
On second thought she propably already is a near-outcast in her peer group. This might be a clue in identifying these undercover geeks.
You might look for some kind of a behaviour signature: Think how does a male proto-geek behave when he is about to awaken to full geekdom? (No, we are not geeks from birth. We quite propably are predisposed though.)
Then again, she might just be an ordinary lunatic. Be careful.
Also being a geek is not an reason to being physically weak. Yes, most geek friends of mine are actually slightly overweight, but they are not in poor shape. Note that I'm not claiming that they are anything resembling body builders.
Wasn't it relatively recently when the geek stereotype was a skeletal freckled young male wearing glasses and carrying a calculator? Whatever happened to it?
Sorry for the rambling style. I just woke up and english isn't my primary language.
Hear hear! I completely agree! Binary gender approach is silly and narrow minded. Look around, people are portraying behavioural traits that belong to the "opposite" gender which is generally accepted. I am guessing (since I'm not living in the US) that the acceptance of women in technical jobs is still a problem for the older generation(s). From what I see happening around me is that the younger generation is more accepting. OT: The title is just another cheep marketing stunt, since it's basically a "Computer Technology for Female Dummies". As many others already mentioned, a geek is indeed someone who happens to be submerged in his/her field of choice and seems to attempt to learn or know everything about it. Often the "escape" into social 'isolation' for the geek types, isn't necessarily due to the geekness. IMHO when someone is smarter than the rest of the class in primary school and they happen not to be extrovert, they have a big change of withdrawing themselves. When they discover their strength in IT for example, chances are they will attempt to be excellent at it. At the cost of "creeping" out his/her peers. When I was finishing primary school (1977) I was very interested in computers, while my peers didn't have a clue what they actually were. It didn't take me long to learn BASIC by myself (books were not available in my language yet and I didn't speak a word of English). I think I did miss a lot, spending more and more time with computers rather than with my friends, because it was becoming more and more interesting. (Perhaps that explains the little dominant streak in me, discovering how to "command" a computer and have it do what I want.) Needless to say, my interests were not the shoot-them-ups, or platform games, no I loved to write classic style adventures, focussed on romance, non-combat roleplay and eventually attempting to find a way of making AI have emotions. My friends didn't understand me, nor did my male friends. (Again this is the very early era of (home) computing I'm talking about.) Why I ended up in computing? I have to "thank" my parents for that. They sort of ignored my existence, didn't know how to deal with a child that always wants to know more, even beyond their grasp of understanding. It's not easy growing up like that, I can relate to many of these geek/nerd stories. I was the weird girl with the glasses, always having her nose stuck in books (before finding out about computers). Now it's my children's turn. The oldest (10) is scared of technology, but an artist ahead of his age, the youngest (3) has the same interest as me, she already wants to play with technological toys and computers. She doesn't like the V-Tech crap, she wants (and now has) her own laptop. She can't read, but the icons are enough for her to understand what to do... I didn't push her, she is just choosing to use the pc. (By the way, she loves Edubuntu). She too will be a true Geek Goddess if she continues like that.
The stereotype you paint is unrecognisable to me.
The "nerd" that you describe is most atypical, I would say 1 in 30 or 40, maybe it is an stereotype true in the US, but elsewhere it just doesn't stick.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Sorry, but this nonsense about social ineptitude being related to technical interests is just that: inane, stupid babbling.
Many people have interests that distract most of their waking hours, but somehow it is only geeks that are singled out as socially inept.
Let me tell you something, musicians, specially in the classical tradition, will put more hours practising their instrument than any geek would reasonable spend in front of a computer, nevertheless their social and amorous life is as good as anybody's (or even better).
I could come with multiple examples of people that have "time sinks" in their life, strangely nobody stereotypes them as socially inept, so I have only to conclude that geeks are so stereotyped because they have being the most socially mobile, powerful group of people in the last 20 years or so, and thus people mock the successful.
I can take inane stereotypes from people working in other professions, after all they don't know any better, what I don't understand is geeks trying to explain a false stereotype to themselves.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
I agree that it shouldn't be gender specific, though if analogies are used women will understand some better than men and vice-versa.
Many of the people I know who are 'into' linux and other open source software seem to want more people to use it, This isn't going to happen if people don't know how to use it. Worse people soon give up trying to learn if help isn't pretty easily accessible.
Yes it is difficult to teach people and to figure out what kind of base they're working from - thus what level to pitch it at. Having said that I work in a school and while I don't teach IT this is a problem I come across every day in a range of subjects and by no means is it insurmountable.
perhaps men and women have different wiring and thus different interests for the most part. this is the inconvenient truth. trying to force people into your idea of fairness is ridiculous. give people opportunity and freedom and let them choose as they wish, trying to force people fields or interests is just misguided. many geeks gravitate towards certain things because they are interested, and they are also good. and their interest and ease of learning the material is a self perpetuating cycle. programs to force intensive math on selected groups of girls in school have failed to produce in the past. very few of them chose to become math majors or even go into technical fields. anyways whats with the idea that everyone should be like this or that anyways.
Why is there this need for obsessing over sex when it comes to computers and "geekiness"? Is it because male geeks are so obsessed but unable to find a woman? When works like this book come out it is hardly surprising eh?