What is a geek?

The Prophet of Arranging Quotes

"What is a *geek*? how do you define a geek? is a geek someone who will just ignore the world and center on one thing? I call that an 'autist', not a geek, and that's an illness, not a way of living." (Jcl)

"Is geek the man who knows lot's of computer things, is he the man who spends a lot of time with his computer, is he the unsocial guy that some people say to him to get a life?" (Optimus)

"You're always the geek of someone. I'd consider someone with a passion a geek. So in this regard, I don't use geek as a negative comment. I'm a geek and I'm proud of it, I use words that less 1% of this planet's population understand (if that!), I get all sweaty and sticky at the thought of next-gen hardware, I spend an unhealthy amount of time getting a monitor tan, but hey, that makes me happy. You can look at people with other passions (trainspotting anyone? :), they might look geeky to us, but it keeps them happy." (vale)

"everyone is a geek/weirdo in these days. why not beeing a demoscener since you are at it?

but (...) most people label demosceners as geeks. i would say its about 50/50 these days. but if you dont have the computer geek background you probably arent much interested in the demoscene (although there are some cases of sceners who just got into it because they make music or gfx with computer and found some friends to hang around with)

anyways, beeing a geek is stupid, if you are or think you are one i advise you to open your mind more and just do whatever you want to do with your life. after all its _your_ life. you hold the power to be the geek or not. beeing true to yourself is also important." (ps)

"the scene is full of geeks, pissing on themselves when they see something running smooth.

the internet is full of geeks, pissing on themselves when they discover a new release of linux.

my university is full of geeks, pissing on themselves when they discover a new book.

my town is full of geeks, pissing on themselves when there's a local party.

my country is full of geeks, pissing on themselves when they realize their liberty.

the world is full of geeks, pissing on themselves when they think global.

..and the states.. you already have two geeks fighting for a whitehouse, a big garden and some power.

there are geeks everywhere, and don't tell me that sceners are all cool guys loving art, half of them have no clue about art (like myself).

people living for only one thing are certainly geeks, people that can manage their life (as ps said) aren't... let's be idealist. (...)

we are all very popular in our country.. hehe.. no kiddin'.. nobody knows the scene, expect some friends that we somehow introduced to it. but i don't know if it's really important to make it well-known.. maybe.. maybe not.. i don't know.." (fred)

"so I must be a geek coz I also piss on myself when my girlfriend makes up for me :D (oh god, how hot is she :D) ..." (Jcl)

"Let's define myself: I am a guy who got a computer at 8 years old. Ok, I remember that usually my parents didn't left me on the computer because they were afraid,. I could only compute on Friday/Saturday/Sunday and for 2-3 hours (Except the summer) and I played only games on that. Only after 15years, things changed, and actually after 18. I had always problems with my parents about computer (even today we argue) and sometimes I feel that I could have started with more programming from a smaller age. And the hours I was computing in the older times as a kid, were really few, not enough so that I can also start with programming :P At 18 I understood what I ever wanted to be (which I understand more now!), I wanted to be a real computer freak. I met also the demoscene that time. I feel that I can code great things if they leave me to computer as much as I want and start learning more and more! Ok, now I am 20years old and these problems are not that lame,. I can do my job now, even slowly slowly (Because of university, parents, e.t.c..)

Do you remember a lame qbasic demo which I had made called 'The Poor Freak. I want to get a computer life!'? The title has to do with this whole history.. It's just my lame story. Sometimes my story resembles of John Carmack (Ok, he didn't even had a computer before 18 (I couldn't even compute before 18), but after that he was entirely free to compute! I am still not entirely free, sometimes pathetic, but much better to be able to continue slowly slowly..) Perhaps all these stuff defined that I wanted to become a real computer freak. Perhaps because I felt that I could have been a cool computer freak if I could computer from smaller ages and also if I can computer as much as I want now! That's somehow how I became such crazy guy, who says that his dreams are to become a real computer freak!

I know that all these stuff seem funny as I say them, I know that I may seem lame,. but I don't care. I don't know if beeing a crazy guy and acting like a weird guy, saying weird things, is a result of my history or just my own character/personality..

And I like to say that I am a weird/crazy guy an obsessed computer freak! It's crazy and I like it!

Conclusion: In the knowledge I am still a newbie geek but I am very willing to learn and suck everything I can. As a personality and my computer dreams I am VERY Crazy Freak!!! I wish I could find a crazy freak like me :) And I almost never feel shy/regret of what I am doing here, if people call me to get a life, if I seem like a freak or not, because what I am doing is what I ever wanted to be, I know what I want from my life! I feel this thing more and more each day passes.." (Optimus)

"Ok, my life has the following:

- A full-time job

- A girlfriend which I see almost everyday

- Another job which I manage with my full-time one

- Friends, parties, etc.

- Family time (brother, sister, parents)

- As for computers:

- IRC

- Coding (demoscene or not)

- Tracking

- Trying to do some 2D gfx :-)

- Web Design

Am I a geek? Do i pass the exam?

People chooses their way of living, and noone can tell wether it's better or worse... if they're happy with their lifes, keep on having them! I mean, I would prefer not knowing I'm silly, and being happy and silly, than knowing it and being sad and silly (which I am :D)

I myself have many many many many things in my life which more or less I can manage... still I am an incomformist, and I'm never completely happy with what I am or have, I always need more, I need to improve on every aspect, I need to know more... and that's the way I chose to live.

It's not probably a good way, as I know I'll never be 100% happy... but so far, I'm carrying with my life pretty well, I think. I do what I think I have to do to try to be everyday a bit happier... NO MATTER if anyone thinks I'm stupid, or a geek, for the matter. I am what I am, if you don't like it, stay apart... live and let others live, that's what I like to do and it's what everyone else should do IMO (of course, people is free to do whatever they want to do)...

As i said before, I don't like to repeat myself (<EG>)

Oh god... now that I'm re-reading all this it sounds stupid... well I guess you catch the idea :-)" (Jcl)

"[What] if what I want to do on my life is to become a real computer freak? Hmm,. perhaps I answered a little that that's what I want from life! Of course I want some other things, but that's my main focus on life. And, btw. I don't know about other guys, but I have discovered my focus on life and I will not regret about that. Really, really, I don't beleive that I will feel that I have lost my life for computing or something like this, as many people says! If this ever happens I will not regret, but if this happens what's the meaning? I don't know if other people will say: 'Hell, I am 40years old and did nothing with my life but only sitting in front of this damn box!' but I am sure of what I want to do with my life! I know myself, if you or my parents think that I destroy my life, I feel my life diferrent. For them, what I am doing on computers are nothing (And if they see demos they can't understand them and ask me to find a way to gain money from them :P) but for me computing means a lot.

Everyone understands diferrent the meaning of life. Someone can't understand how the hell I live only with computer, without girls, bullshiting with friends, e.t.c.. I can't understand how some people don't do something special with their life (They just have a job, a woman, some family, a home and a TV, they find this the meaning of life, just laming around without doing the creative things we do on computers, without wanting to do something great to leave their name on history!) I just have a diferrent meaning of life, a diferrent focus which fits to my own personality. They try to define what Real Life means!

And I will not regret of what I am doing and want to become! This is my Focus and I won't stop! This feeling is really strong inside me!!!

So, I want to become the real computer freak I should be! I feel that this is my main focus. Even if there are some things that block my way, I can overpass them and continue. Other smaller focuses of my life is to find some answers.. there are other too,. and even girls and friends (From the demoscene :)" (Optimus)

"if you want to be the best, you have to be focused. its not a way of living, its a sacrifice. and one most people can only sustain for a few years of scene activity then they drop off to real life. sit back and watch the scene pattern, its plain to see >B)" (Gaffer)

The geek: a schizoid, slightly strange to world, dedicating most of his life to an electronic object voluntarily. The stereotype of the computer-freak and even some people's ideal. And - it is not an uncommon species.

Adok/Hugi - 08 Dec 2000