What is with the Self Deprecation on AT?? I doubt most ATers are geeks anymore.

[PlatinumGold]

the definition of GEEK itself has changed since the mid '80's. just the fact that ATers are participating on an online forum is no longer a guarantee or even a strong indication that they are a computer "geek".

why do some ATers want to perpetuate this myth?? particularly in YAGT's.

i don't get it.

is it just a bunch of the older ATer's that just haven't gotten over their own geekiness during the 80's taking it out on the younger ATer's?

edited for clarification


i guess i didn't make myself clear in my OP.

my problem is with the assumption that these so called "geeks" will be socially inept.

i don't think that generalization is anywhere near true anymore.

you HAVE to be a "geek" (have a certain amount of knowledge of computers) to survive in today's world. someone that would pass for a geek 20 yrs ago, now is just barely above average in his knowledge of computers etc.

but really my question is regarding the assumption that all "geeks" are socially inept.

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Define geek in the modern day sense

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Define geek in the modern day sense

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Define geek in the modern day sense

Kinda like Emo, but without the glasses.

 

[hevnsnt]

I would say a geek is someone that has random pci/agp cards laying on their "HOME" desk.

FYI, I just looked at my desk to come up with that.

 

[Fausto]

I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

 

[PlatinumGold]

to me a geek is someone ignorant of computers.

 

[arcenite]

I am a geek except for the part I have a girlfriend...who's hot... for more than three days

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

i guess i didn't make myself clear in my OP.

my problem is with the assumption that these so called "geeks" will be socially inept.

i don't think that generalization is anywhere near true anymore.

you HAVE to be a "geek" (have a certain amount of knowledge of computers) to survive in today's world. someone that would pass for a geek 20 yrs ago, now is just barely above average in his knowledge of computers etc.

but really my question is regarding the assumption that all "geeks" are socially inept.

 

[TommyVercetti]

You must be careful when saying "geek". There are lots of types of geeks: TV geeks, Movie geeks, Starwar geeks, Carpentary geeks, Mustang Geeks and Relationship geeks. Most geeks on this forums fall into the Computer geek category.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

lol

Me I'm a techie but not geeky. Not good enough at Maths! Would sure bloody help with CS!

Koing

 

[Hammer]

im not a geek, but i do geeky things like post on forums

 

[edmicman]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Define geek in the modern day sense

Kinda like Emo, but without the glasses.

Remember when Tickle-Me-Emo was all the rage? I don't remember him wearing glasses though...

 

[isasir]

Awhile back a poll was made, I believe assessing on a scale of 1 to 5, how much of a geek you are, with 1 being total inept geek, and 5 being a non-geek. The results were your standard bell curve. So I think most people acknowledge that they aren't the total inept person that used to be associated with geekdom.

However, I think it's gotten to the point where there isn't a negative stigma with the work geek. It just implies that you're smart in some particular field, which in most cases is computers tho'.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

i guess i didn't make myself clear in my OP.

my problem is with the assumption that these so called "geeks" will be socially inept.

i don't think that generalization is anywhere near true anymore.

you HAVE to be a "geek" (have a certain amount of knowledge of computers) to survive in today's world. someone that would pass for a geek 20 yrs ago, now is just barely above average in his knowledge of computers etc.

but really my question is regarding the assumption that all "geeks" are socially inept.

As Vercetti pointed out, there are many kinds of geeks. I think that definition comes into play when you know a lot more than the average person about a given subject...particularly something science-related. The social ineptness thing kinda goes along with this as either your geek hobby takes up so much of your time that you don't develop normal social skills or that you retreated into this hobby early in life as you were uncomfortable around people in the first place.

 

[newbiepcuser]

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

Geeks don't wear thongs and buy 1 gizllion dollar road bikes.

 

[Tom]

what about nerds ?

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: Koing

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

lol

Me I'm a techie but not geeky. Not good enough at Maths! Would sure bloody help with CS!

Koing

So how come the site in your sig isn't called TechieFitness?

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: newbiepcuser

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

Geeks don't wear thongs and buy 1 gizllion dollar road bikes.

What? All I did was take the DeBeers "two months' salary" rule and apply it to my new bike. That seems fair and reasonable.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: newbiepcuser

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

Geeks don't wear thongs and buy 1 gizllion dollar road bikes.

he's a geek wannabe, true geeks are married to either intel or amd

 

[gistech1978]

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

minus the tan.
and that is a very good description.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

i guess i didn't make myself clear in my OP.

my problem is with the assumption that these so called "geeks" will be socially inept.

i don't think that generalization is anywhere near true anymore.

you HAVE to be a "geek" (have a certain amount of knowledge of computers) to survive in today's world. someone that would pass for a geek 20 yrs ago, now is just barely above average in his knowledge of computers etc.

but really my question is regarding the assumption that all "geeks" are socially inept.

But geeks are, say, those upper 20% (number chosen at random) who know more about computers than the rest (for the purposes of this definition). The way you're defining it is like saying that soldiers thousands of years ago had to know how touse knives, because that's what they fought with, and because everyone knows how to used a knife today, we are all soldiers. A geek 20 years ago would have continued to be in that upper 20% and would still be a geek today, increasing his knowledge proportionally with the sum total of computer knowledge.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a fiancee, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

Fixed for my situation.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: AvesPKS

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Fausto
I consider myself to be a "high-functioning geek". I have all the usual trappings of geekdom, but I also have a wife, friends, socials skills, and a tan.

i guess i didn't make myself clear in my OP.

my problem is with the assumption that these so called "geeks" will be socially inept.

i don't think that generalization is anywhere near true anymore.

you HAVE to be a "geek" (have a certain amount of knowledge of computers) to survive in today's world. someone that would pass for a geek 20 yrs ago, now is just barely above average in his knowledge of computers etc.

but really my question is regarding the assumption that all "geeks" are socially inept.

But geeks are, say, those upper 20% (number chosen at random) who know more about computers than the rest (for the purposes of this definition). The way you're defining it is like saying that soldiers thousands of years ago had to know how touse knives, because that's what they fought with, and because everyone knows how to used a knife today, we are all soldiers. A geek 20 years ago would have continued to be in that upper 20% and would still be a geek today, increasing his knowledge proportionally with the sum total of computer knowledge.

no, my contention is really not so much how you define geek regarding their knowledge, but the definition of the geek part that says all geeks are socially inept. that just isn't true anymore.

i just find all these comments in YAGT regarding the ineptness of geeks, "oh you could never dream of being with such a girl because you are a geek" annoying.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold


i just find all these comments in YAGT regarding the ineptness of geeks, "oh you could never dream of being with such a girl because you are a geek" annoying.

it's just people trying to make themselves feel better by putting down others