The New Hacker's Dictionary, third edition

[Thor]

A new book written by Jon Katz "Geeks"

Geek: A person who, for one reason or another, is considered sociallyn unacceptable by the person speaking. A computer geek is someone who is socially inept but expert with computers. As computers become more important
in the average person's life, this term becomes more often a compliment than an
insult.

-Mike McConnell,

The first entry in the book:

THE GEEK ASCENSION

WHERE DOES it begin, this sense of being the Other? It can come early on,when you find yourself alone in your childhood bedroom, raising tropical fish, composing a poem, writing code, meeting friends mostly online, playing by yourself. Or in middle school, when the jocks turn on you and you pray you will get through gym class alive...

Well you want to read on, then go to:
http://slashdot.org/features/00/01/25/1048258.shtml

Thor

[socalgal]

I would say not all geeks are "socially unacceptable"... There is also an order known as "Stealth Geeks" http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif Perhaps there are some of us here?


http://www.swcp.com/~diamond/sg-faq.html

[Toadman]

LMAO SoCalGal!! How about the repressed Stealth Geek? I once hung with Trekkers/geeks because I could have real intelligent conversations with them, but made an effort to pull away when I moved to a new school. I indulged in cars,cycles, music,girls, anything to avoid being branded a geek. Even played on the JV baseball team as head benchwarmer. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
Lol, good topic!! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[Axel]

a quote from socialgal's link - hope they don't mind.....
_________________________________________

Stealth Geekdom is a way of life that is difficult to sum up in so many words, but simply put:

A Stealth Geek (SG) is a person who has many of the internal qualities of geekiness yet who does not look or act like the stereotypical geek.

A more detailed definition:

A Stealth Geek is a person of above-average intelligence (often referred to as "a brain") with a deep, almost passionate, devotion to some academic, technological or scientific subject; an interest in science fiction and/or fantasy books, television, movies or comics; a bit of a loner who doesn't always fit in with the mainstream, but who has learned to blend in with the "real world" through behavior and looks. In other words, although they're a geek inside, no one will say, "What a geek!" about them based on an initial encounter.
_______________________________________

depends on the situation surrounding the initial encounter, but by & large, I qualify.... I'm a Stealth Super Geek!!

[CMonster]

Geek Test:

[list=1]
In entering a new job, school, or office is the computer equipment one of the first things you notice?
Do you have an immediate urge to ask what kind/speed CPU it has?
On your first day, did you leave already having forgoten someone's name but still able remember the processor speed and amount of ram?
[/list=a]
If you answered yes to more than 2 of the above you just might be a geek.

[Mntsnow]

OMG CMoster....What happens when you answer YES to ALL 3 questions? http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif ROFLMAO

Mntsnow

[Axel]

So I'm a GEEK because I choose to be non-PC ( politically correct )- so be it..... I enjoy my computers over most people anyway. -

just remember - half the people you know are below average..... http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[Richard_Cranium72]

YES, YES, YES. OH BOY, OH BOY, I'M SO HAPPY. Now look at me Mommy, and you said I'd never make anyting of myself.. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[smokin1]

LOL...do you know about the GEEK CODE? (http://www.geekcode.com/geek.html)
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[Morpheus1964]

http://djschneider.home.mindspring.com

Click the "Texts" button on the left hand side and take the Nerdity test! 200 questions of pure Geekdom!

I didn't see an answer to Mntsnow's question, tho....how bad IS it if you answer Yes, Yes, and Uh-huh?

[Smokey]

I thought that I was a stealth geek until I read CMonster's questions.... http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[CONTRiC]

We try to generalize what we don't understand.

We try to provide meaning, in an otherwise meaningless world.

To make statements which group all geeks into the category of almost "social outcasts" is outrageous. Dare to be different! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Many choose to be different for a reason or heck, they might even enjoy it. Doesn't mean they are any different

[CMonster]

It takes one to know one - I gleaned my questions from my own behavior....

[dos7]

it's simply the urge to quantify & connect events. although i think the term, nerd, has a broader meaning, aside from computers.
if i had to classify myself, i would be a stealth nerd, although im not very good at it, and i hate being classified anyway http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

dos7

[westendr]

geek - and a Greek....am I a Geeky Greek?

[Szech]

HHHHHHMMMMmmmmmmm... Now all this talk has me wondering where I lie... perhaps my involvement in hip-hop, snow sports and other activities are a subconscious desire to hide my true nature. Oh well, life goes on :O

[Dune]

Thanks to socalgal, I now have a title...

and as we all know in todays world nothing is more important than the titles that we hold. *laughing*

so I dub myself a stealth geek

[krusty the klown]

So you might just qualify as a geek if you land a new job and:

notice the computer first,
ask what CPU it has,
remember the specs and forget your new colleagues' names on your first day.....

What about if you do leave work on the first day, having not only remembered the computer's specifications and forgotten your colleagues' names, but also having OVERCLOCKED the computer!!!!! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

edit - typo

[This message has been edited by krusty the klown (edited 04-06-2000).]