Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Why Geek?

There was a time when being called a geek was meant to be an insult. The same may hold true for today but there are a few very obvious facts that should take a little bit of the bite out of being called a geek.

First of all Bill Gates is a geek. It's a fact. He was a geek in his younger days and neither his technological wizardry or his not quite up to par social skills have changed much over the last couple of decades. What has changed for Bill Gates however is the status of his net worth. It just keeps growing and growing. Peronally, I wouldn't mind the comparison. He is one geek that has done quite well for himself.

When you think about it, however, there are a great deal of men and women in powerful positions that may have exceptional scientific skills while not scoring as high off the charts when it comes to those pesky little things known as socialization skills.

While I would love it if my claim to geek famedom was my incredible abilities when it comes to computer coding (that we'll leave to the love of my life) or my unsurpassed talents when it comes to MMORPGs I can't. Truth be told I have absolutely no talent when it comes to coding and while I greatly enjoy MMORPGs I can't claim to be really great at them either.

Ironically enough, it's probably these things that make me most likely to be called a geek. I don't even fit the geek stereotype. I have a few social skills, I'm not all that scientifically inclined, yet I remain fascinated and drawn to all the things that are possible, even those that are improbable. I love science fiction, computer games, and useless bits of trivia. Does it really matter that I'm not exceptionally skilled at any of them?