BLADAM - Entry - I am a geek, and it ain’t that bad

DISCLAIMER: This is my personal blog. The blatherings here aren't (necessarily) the views of the current company I work for, companies I've previously blessed with my presence, my loving parents, the Illuminati, or anyone other than me, me, me!

I am a geek, and it ain’t that bad

Back in high school, I was a nerd.
Now I'm a geek.

There's a big difference, at least in my humble opinion.Nerds are:

Generally very socially inept
Usually quite unfit and also not good at sports
Totally lacking in interest in and/or awareness of popular culture
Singlehandedly focused on and often very talented in academics
Not very well respected outside of nerd circles nowadays

Geeks are:

Fascinated by technology, but often in how it connects people and organizations
Intellectual but not at the expense of being able to make smalltalk
Generally comfortable with machines AND people
Often fascinated by science and technology, but not necessarily 'experts'
Typically engaged in popular culture, but feeling more passionate about 'alternative' entertainment (e.g., "They Might Be Giants," "Monty Python," etc.
Often figuring out how to tie technology in with useful and or social endeavors (e.g., using a Palm Pilot to look up a restaurant review)
Probably seen as "the norm" in many places, including various cities (San Francisco) and demographics (Ivy League colleges).

What are your thoughts on this?
Do you think my ad hoc definitions fit the bill?
Would you consider yourself a geek or a nerd?
Do you have friends who are geeks or nerds?
And can someone really change, as I've suggested that I have?

- Blathered by Adam on Thursday, February 20, 2003 at 23:40 [ Permalink | Trackback ]
- Filed under Personal • Society • People and relationships
- Commented on by 7 folks so far. Scroll down and see for yourself (and join in the conversation!)

Comment from Crazy Kate [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	I agree with your definitions. And I’d definitely consider myself a geek. Always have been, just more lately than I used to be. I can’t say I’ve ever been a nerd. I’ve liked people interaction too much for that. Here at WPI, I put the EE in gEEk. -=CK=- - Posted on Friday, February 21, 2003 at 20:01 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Celia B. [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Did you know the definition of a geek is a carnival performer doing bizarre acts such as biting off the heads of live chickens? See the movie “Nightmare Alley” starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell about 1945 where circus performer is changed to half man/half monster. How does this fit in with your self definition? Personally I think geeks are just grownup nerds. Not a bad thing, just learned a few key social skills having to do with people instead of machines. - Posted on Monday, February 24, 2003 at 22:53 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Matt Hendrickson [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Celia- don’t you mean “FREAK?” - Posted on Monday, February 24, 2003 at 23:29 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Jennifer [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	I know I’m a geek, and I’m content with that (note: computer geek, not biting-heads-off-chickens geek). I’m part of that slightly-rarer breed: the female geek. Ever notice there seem to be a lot of female geek bloggers? I think it’s just a good environment for us. We’ve come out of the woodwork. Now, has anyone seen that chicken? I know I left it here someplace… Never mind. - Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 at 22:12 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member Adam San Francisco [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Yes, I HAVE noticed that there are a ton of women bloggers… seemingly more than female Webmasters (Webmistresses? :D). You mention that you think it’s a “good environment” for women… but why do you think this is? Is it because bloggers can focus more on actual writing than Web page technical tinkering? Is it because women are somehow inherently more ‘communicative’ ("My mother-in-law won’t shut up!” ) or perhaps particularly drawn to the collaborative and community aspects of blogging? I wonder what the gender ratio is like in the ‘real world’ of paper journalism. Hmm. I think I’ll ask one of my friends at the Washington Post (http://nonsense-verse.blogspot.com). - Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 at 22:31 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member Adam San Francisco [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Oh, and I can’t believe I forgot to mention this amazing (albeit very long) article on “Why Nerds are Unpopular”—this was actually the trigger for my original post on geeks and nerds! http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html - Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 at 23:24 [ Permalink to this comment ]

Say something! If you're a member, log in first, though :-).

Name (Required)

Email (Optional)

Please include at least your first name or a nickname

Only I, Adam, will see this. It's not posted!

Location or affiliation (Optional)

URL (Optional)

e.g., Mannheim, Germany or Microsoft
or Seattle Savoy Club, etc.

Tags supported: <a href>, , , , , <strike>, , <pre>, <code>, and <blockquote>
Pop-up smiley chooser

I warmly welcome you to register and reserve your nickname.

While non-members are welcome to comment freely here, members get nifty benefits and more prominently displayed comments.

Signing up is free, super-fast and painless. No rude invasive questions or evil spam!

Remember my personal information (it'll be pre-filled for future comments here)
Send me an e-mail when others comment

IMPORTANT: Please type in the word adam below:
(This is to thwart automated spambots; sorry for the inconvenience)

A live preview of your comments will appear below as you type (including supported HTML but not showing graphical-smileys).

Next entry: If I sell out, does it mean I have any less to say?
Previous entry: You have a right to get an SUV!

FEEDS:	Full-text, all categories: (See a complete list of category-specific and other BLADAM feeds!)
CREDITS:	Site powered by ExpressionEngine. Cool menus by the Ultimate Dropdown Menu. Thoughtful advice and assistance from Ingmar, LisaJill, other awesome EE forum volunteers, and nice friends.
COPYRIGHT:	My sites are the result of many hours of hard work. Kindly ask before using my content. Thanks! :)
[ Return to the top of the page]