My fiance calls me a geek every once in a while (in the most loving way possible). Today was one of those times and it got me thinking. Could it be true? So, in true geeky fashion decided blog about the subject to find the answer.
I’ve always had this stereotypical bias towards geeks so naturally I cringed whenever I was associated with the term. But then I got to thinking… maybe being a geek isn’t so bad after all.
Take Chuck for example. The TV series about an “average computer-whiz-next-door”. He, defines geek. But somehow he pulls it off and is considered “cool” and even dateable by attractive women. They ask him out dates, not the other way around. You’ll see no groveling from him. I bet he doesn’t know any pickup lines as he doesn’t need them. Other examples include the movies Napoleon Dynamite, and Harry Potter.
But outside of Hollywood in the real world, teenaged hotties go around wearing t-shirts that proclaim, “I heart geeks” (available, along with a whole range of geek-themed products, online at places like Café Press) and magazines like Wired publish lists counting down the sexiest geeks of the year.
I’ve determined that women (and people in general) love geeks. Geeks are smart, successful power players in a world defined by technology. Smart women have figured this out and are flocking to the power, security, and wealth that come built-in to her geeky lover. One might even say she has upgraded to Boyfriend 2.0
Jocks and Jerks are you hearing me? Your days are numbered. I suggest you get an account over at FriendFeed (where all the coolest geeks hang out) and ask them to teach you something geeky. Like Twitter for example. Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll take pity on you and tell you what Twitter is and why you need it.
Without really realizing it I’ve slowly submerged myself into using a lot of technology. Over the years I’ve used more and more types of tech such as: (but not limited to)
Flickr, Twitter, FriendFeed, WordPress, Ubuntu, RSS, Delicious, Google Reader, DSLR, Lightroom, Ping.FM, Pandora, Vimeo, Digg, Meebo, Toodledo, StumbleUpon, Furl, Skype, FeedBurner, Feedly, Zoho, Bit-Torrent, IMDB, RTM, Dash Express, FTP, SSH, TinyURL, XHTML, CSS, PHP, Java, and PGP.
If were to mention to the average person the tech/sites/services/products mentioned above it would be unlikely that they have ever heard of ANY of them. However I, use most of them everyday and couldn’t imagine life without them.
I have a gadget addiction, a well known geeky trait. My pockets are generally filled with all types of tech. Listing all my gadgets in this post would be futile. So I won’t even attempt it. Besides that’s what the awesome Delicious Library 2 is for.
Also, I’ve followed the ramblings of prominent geeks such as Robert Scoble a self proclaimed “Tech Geek Blogger” for many years.
In light of all the evidence stacked against me its time for me to man up and admit that…
I am a boneifide geek and I’m no longer ashamed of it.
I wouldn’t consider my self as geeky as Chris Pirillo who plasters his face all over the web with true-to-the-term geeky expressions. I’d say I’m (hopefully) more of a balanced geek much like Josh Bancroft who does a great job with integrating his geekiness into his work and family life.
So, the next time she calls me a geek I’ll know thats exactly what she wants me to be. Which is just who I’ve always been. Then I’ll thank her for helping me to realize and be proud of it.
