janep.org | journey continues

AJ Jorge March 27th, 2007

It’s like coming out in the open and finally accepting that I’m a certified geek.

I think it’s culturally accepted now being one. With the advent of technology and internet media, being a geek is a lot of plus. This article solidifies my stand on being a geek.

1. You’re probably very smart.
Well, yeah, I’d like to think so.

2. It’s hip to be geek. Everyone is familiar with the stereotype of thick glasses, a pocket protector, an obsession with star trek, and social skills akin to a sack of potatoes. Times have changed: geeks are often fashionable, hip individuals who are very aligned with the trends of their own generation.
I think more than anything, the stereotype image of a geek is already passé

3. You geek out on more than just your computer. Ever seen the movie collection of a film geek? Ever had an automotive geek work on your car? Ever seen the body of a fitness geek? The tenacity of someone like us, when applied to hobbies outside computers and the like, can yield impressive results.
Me and Pen have a collection of tons of dvd movies and now xvid movies. Toys. Comics. Anime. TV Series. MP3′s. Books. e-Books. etc. etc.

4. Geek humor is the best humor. This is perhaps a biased opinion, but I’ve never laughed as hard as I have while reading some of the random, funny things that came out of geek culture.
This is really a biased opinion. How can you get a non-geek understand the sudo joke? But still, it is still funny.

5. You listen to good music. Geeks have access to tools that allow us to hear music that extends well beyond top 40 radio. Want the entire discography of Aphex Twin by tomorrow afternoon? Ask a geek. Not only do they listen to good music, they can find just about anything you’re looking for in a heartbeat.
I pass on this one. Pen would be listening to good music while I get my fix with good ol’ rock and alternative songs and nothing more.

6. You make good money. If there’s one stereotype about geeks that usually rings true, it’s that they rarely have trouble earning a decent income.
Good money is relative. It definitely may not follow.

7. You fix stuff. Everyone loves a handyman, especially one that can fix one of the most frustrating devices ever conceived: a personal computer.
Guilty.

8. You’ve got your own stuff going on. You’ll never meet a geek who runs out of things to do, they’ve got lots of hobbies and interests and are more than happy to dive head first into one of those when they’ve got some spare time. In other words: they won’t rely on you to give them a life.
See Number 3.

9. You’re very articulate. Compulsively reading a few hundred RSS feeds a day yields a vocabulary that could put most college English majors to shame.
Again, I would like to think I’m articulate (just like being smart in Number 1). True that I have lots of RSS feeds but I don’t know if the articulate part rubs off to me.

10. You’re passionate. When a geek becomes interested in something, they tend to immerse themselves in it entirely. They’ll strip a new gadget down to nuts and bolts and re-build it with an xhtml compliant grappling gun. This intense passion can extend to many areas of a geek’s life, not just computers and hobbies.
True, true. That’s exactly why I learned these tech stuffs (programming, software, hardware) even if my college course is entirely different. I’m totally fascinated and amazed with the computer world.

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