What is a geek?
A geek, as defined by Dictionary.com:
1.
a. A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
b. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.
2. A carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as biting the head off a live chicken.
[Perhaps alteration of dialectal geck, fool, from Low German gek, from Middle Low German.]
geek y adj.
Our Living Language Our word geek is now chiefly associated with student and computer slang; one probably thinks first of a computer geek. In origin, however, it is one of the words American English borrowed from the vocabulary of the circus, which was a much more significant source of entertainment in the United States in the 19th and early 20th century than it is now.
So a geek is an entertainer by original design, and I won’t say that many of them still aren’t, but the word when said definitely doesn’t bring circus performers to mind. To me it brings up people who are also known as gamers, Internet addicts, or really anyone completely obsessed with a certain thing.
Anymore the term brings to mind an intelligent person who spends a vast amount of time obsessing about one subject. Generally this has to do with the digital age in some way. However, I make no claim to being the only type of geek. I’d completely agree that if you and your friends spend your entire lives and all your energy on talking about trees and how fascinating they are you too would be considered a geek. BUT I’m going to talk the average perception of geek here, which is completely electronic related.
THE GOOD
So, what’s good about being a geek you ask? Geeks are generally, not always, but generally in a place of employment (providing they haven’t allowed the addiction.. err hobby, to overcome their ability to be at least self sustained) that pays more than minimum wage. We are usually of average to above average intelligence. We rule the world. Don’t believe me? Have you looked at the people BEHIND the figureheads that make everything run? The Engineers, the Software Developers, the coders, the people that make it work and stay working. These are also the people that manipulate the system electronically to do anything and everything they want.
THE BAD:
We are a highly generalized group. Most people think geek they think unwashed, unkempt, anti-social, overweight, perverted male with no real life communication skills. This is a generalization that is not even really remotely valid. There are those types of geeks out there, but I’m female, social, not a pervert, have great communication skills, and believe strongly in personal hygiene. I only take one of the aforementioned traits, and that is I am overweight. Guess what, I also know quite a few males and females who literally fall under NONE of the generalizations.
The alternate side of that is the “hacker” image. The fact that people tend to think that anyone who knows the difference between a hard drive and RAM is a deviant. They are out to take over the world, do lots of dugs, are completely rude and obnoxious, and will take over your, the Presidents, or anyone else’s computer on a whim without any repercussion or being caught. This is just silly. Nothing is that simple, and most people I know that are hackers fall under none of these categories, and sure as hell aren’t going to attempt a hostile takeover of a federal/corporate computer. Stop believing everything you see on TV. Now I’m not saying that there are not goth/raver/punk/insert stereotype here hackers out there. That would be as silly as saying no females are capable of using a computer or driving a car. (I.e. it’s asinine).
ANYWAY you get the drift, and if you don’t. Post on our forums. I’d be happy to debate the subject in any way, shape or form. I also happened to like the article on
http://www.globe-guardian.com/archives/obscure/oc0002.htm
Kitty ~ Out
