| I've had it. I can't for the life of me figure
out what media, journalists, and other people have against geeks. An
FBI report is currently trying to characterize geeks as likely trouble-makers
and future criminals -- people most likely to snap. People are more
and more trying to describe the two morons who shot up Columbine as geeks.
Magazines are running articles on geek cyber life and how they're
supposedly out of touch with real life.
Well I've got news for all of you -- you should be scared to death of geeks,
just not for the reasons everyone's hyping.
So what is a "Geek"? A generally-accepted broad definition is that
geeks are individuals who show a lot of creative outlet, generally are young,
and are quick learners and intelligent. Pop culture though has pushed
the stereotype though that a geek is a nerd, and that they are
one and the same. This is silly.
By rough definition, a nerd is someone who is very book-smart, gets
great grades, but is inept socially and day-to-day. Geeks as a whole
are most definitely not inept socially and day-to-day. Sure, there
are exceptions, but it's not the majority.
So, a geek is not a nerd. They are not interchangable. In
fact, you may be a geek and not even realize it -- geeks are not limited
strictly to computer-related endeavors. Geeks are in your school, workplace,
church congregation, on your TV, in your magazines, and your next-door neighbors.
Geeks don't even have to have ever touched a computer in their
life -- it just so happens that geeks are more likely to embrace new technology
and run with it and push it to their limits.
In fact geeks are basically people with sophistated humor, above-average
intellect, and in need of a lot of creative outlets. And for these
outlets they do things like overclock their computers, program, etc. But
they also roleplay, write, draw, and other things outside the confines of
computers as well. In essence, a true geek is someone who is intelligent
just chooses to immerse themselves in a lot of things for their own betterment
or enjoyment.
This can naturally seem very odd to outsiders. But is that a reason
to point fingers at geeks, just because someone doens't understand them?
The two students who shot up Columbine High were not geeks. If everything
I've heard about them is true, they were not even close to being geeks. They
were two really messed-up kids with records of trouble who happened to have
computers and play DOOM and listen to industrial music.
The Unabomber wasn't a geek. In fact, he was probably the Anti-Geek because
he hated technology and refused to embrace it and push it along. He
was a sick man who just happened to be very book-smart but not very common-sense
smart. Common-sense like "Don't blow stuff up and kill people".
Geeks don't sit in front of the computer all day chatting online and playing
games if they have any sense. Sure, they participate in these activites
probably ocassionally, but true geeks have plenty of other stuff to do as
well.
Another interesting concept is the idea of being online for X-amount of hours
a day. Some people would even go as far as to say "If you spend more
than an hour on IRC you're a geek and hooked" and stupid things like that.
Well the funny thing is, just because you're on IRC doesn't mean you're
actually chatting and really using it. I know a lot of people
who more or less happen to be on IRC while they're doing other things like
research, homework, writing, programming, etc.
It's not the fact that you're online or on your computer -- it's what
you're doing with that time. Most geeks are freakishly-productive with
their time on a computer, whereas people who are not geeks tend to be more
or less wasting time.
On another note, people also seem to think all geeks have the exact same
opinions. This is just plain stupid and ignorant. Just because a bunch
of people who posted on Slashdot say "Linux rules" doesn't mean that all
geeks are a bunch of Open-source Nazi's<TM>. The media has yet
to learn that Slashdot and similar sites aren't a good cross-section of online
opinion and thought. So do a lot of other people. I know I sure don't
want to be lumped in with those nutcases on Slashdot who keep complaining
that China is going to invade the US (puh-leeze).
So, if geeks really aren't the disturbed loners the media tries to make them
out to be, why am I saying you should be scared to death of geeks? Because
oddly enough it's these geeks that throughout history have made the world
run and push onward. It's the geeks who are generally going to be
successful inventors, the successful writers, and the people not afraid to
step out there and try something different.
Why do geeks make such an impact? Because in general geeks do
something right the first time, and do it well. And then they push
their ideas even further. Geeks don't screw around.
Don't hate us because we're a problem. Hate us because we're the only
things keeping this lousy orbiting rock interesting and advancing.
And you can quote me on that on Slashdot. Right next to the post of
the guy claiming the Linux kernel is the greatest invention ever.
-- Rik A. Kyser |
