Dec 26, 2008
Holy Cow, I am not a geek after all!
I was reading an article this morning judging President-elect Obama’s geek creds and reaized something scary. I am a fake, a poser…I am not a real geek. Now some people might be relieved by such a revelation but personally I am terrified. I feel like the walls are crumbling and I don’t know who I am at all. Perhaps I have been living a lie all this time!
GeekDad contributor Matt Blum, a software engineer in Reston, Va., defines geeks as having high intellects, embracing technology, “getting excited about things in the future especially, particularly fiction,” having a science viewpoint and being steeped in the geek culture of science fiction and fantasy.
Geeks know and use references from “Star Trek,” “Dungeons and Dragons” and comic books. And, he added, they are nit-picky, unafraid to correct mixed science fiction metaphors, such as confusing Star Trek’s Andorians with “Star Wars” Iridonians.
Wow. I had it wrong this whole time. Unfortunately I am not a sci-fi addict, I can count all the comic books I have purchased in the last 20 years on two fingers and I haven’t played Dungeons and Dragons since it was an interesting excuse to drink in high school.
Wikipedia says “The word geek is a slang term, noting individuals as “a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, gaming, etc.” Now that definition is much more friendly and I think it’s the one that has started the new geek chic movement that has geek wunderkinds like Kevin Rose in the social spotlight.
Being a geek is pretty simple. You are a techie. No, not a trekie, a TECHIE.
Don’t let anyone tell you that if you can’t recall episode numbers for Star Trek or know what George Lucas was eating when he thought of the AT-ATs in Star Wars (man I was stretching for that reference) that you can’t be a geek. I for one am a geek, no, a power geek..and I just can’t get into sci-fi, don’t collect comics, don’t know jack about D&D and I don’t live in my mom’s basement……anymore 
Clearly Matt has no clue what a geek is and should come out of his mums basement to see what’s up.
I tend to think of the sci-fi quotient in more of the “nerd” category (no offense implied). I also wouldn’t necessarialy trust a random sample of dudes at a Star Trek convention to administer my server.
Thing is…both terms “geek” and “nerd” have evolved from what used to be the pocket protector smarties of days gone by who were shuned into the basement with thier fiction and love of cling-on dictionaries. When being smart became cool, Bif and Moose from the football team took a back seat socially to the tech smarties who were suddenly getting dates and party invites. No need for D&D anymore, and the trekie outfits and Capt Kirk posters got packed away. What Matt should said is geeks “having high intellects, embracing technology, makes a good living, goes to all the parties and has lots of toys. It’s the new geek, the empowered geek, the …Metro Geek!
oooo but u are a geek
Ummm I don’t like sci-fi…but I do like fantasy…can I be a geek still?