Thank you Geeks, one and all.

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I was reading an article about the failure of the hunt for bin Laden yesterday, which included, as part of attributing some of the failure to the guest friend bonds of honour amongst Afghani tribesmen, a reference to the code of Pushtanwali.

Intrigued, I googled this, and found a fascinating article on it

Here

which, in turn, led me to look up other terms, where I found out a lot about Afghani history, and some information about a number of women who were strongly influential in it.

I also have chalked up stuff to look at about the different interpretative traditions withn the Sunni tradition.

Anyway, it got me to thinking about how I take for granted all this wonderful access to information, and how much invention and work it has taken to make it so accessible.

Thank you to the geeks who made it possible, and the scholars who get the information on the web, and the people like Craven etc with a real commitment to the dissemination of knowledge who create massive headaches like this so I get stimulated to find this stuff out (the original article I looked at was posted here.)

We should have a public holiday to honour the geeks.

Thank you geekoids.

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Yep. I totally love those geeks.

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edgarblythe wrote:

Yep. I totally love those geeks.

Lol!!! I tend to love them most of all from a distance.

They look cute when they're all fuzzy...but I love what they have so wonderly wrought.

Well, except all the hysterical misinformation, but that's between the mouse and the computing chair, mostly.

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chaff, grain . . .

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never thought about it.

But yer right
It has taken an amazing amount of people to do this. Yet , the only name associated with computers that most know, and gains the most in come is Gates. Confused

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shewolfnm wrote:

never thought about it.

But yer right
It has taken an amazing amount of people to do this. Yet , the only name associated with computers that most know, and gains the most in come is Gates.

Indeed.

Yet think of the milling myrmidons of mind who made it all possible.

Buggers belief.

What I love is the serendipity of search, when one has a little time.

You start with one thing, and end up mental light years away, finding out something, through a chain of associative magic.

I thought about it a lot more in the early days of my online life...but I had a bit of time yesterday really to think about it.

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

dlowan wrote:

Thank you geekoids.

You are welcome.

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

Francis wrote:

dlowan wrote:
Thank you geekoids.

You are welcome.

You're a geek?

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Well, I was, eons ago...

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How can a geek have such a beautiful ear?

I read "geekoid" as "geeknoid" ... Wondering now if that may be more fitting name given their function. Very Happy

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

dlowan wrote:

Thank you to the geeks who made it possible

Hey, anytime. We're always happy to help.

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

Thomas wrote:

dlowan wrote:
Thank you to the geeks who made it possible

Hey, anytime. We're always happy to help.

You're not a geek...yer a nerd.

Aren't you?

Are you both?

:wink:

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

dlowan wrote:

You're not a geek...yer a nerd.

I always thought of the two as synonymous. What's the difference?

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

Thomas wrote:

dlowan wrote:
You're not a geek...yer a nerd.

I always thought of the two as synonymous. What's the difference?

Nerds are the ones you don't have to beware of if they bear gifts.

Badaboom!

Nah:

A nerd is an intelligent person fascinated by knowledge and learning.

In contrast, a geek is a person merely fascinated by technology. Not only that, but many geeks also watch cinema movies or read fiction books. A typical geek's brain probably has active both its logic and imagination centres, while the brain of a nerd may have an extremely active logic centre and an underperforming imagination centre.

Usually most nerds like technology, too, but their primary focus is on theoretical knowledge, mostly on scientific topics. Watching movies or reading fiction books is not part of the nerd culture. True nerds read 1500-page hardcore science books and rarely go out with friends (if they have any).

Many geeks are selfish and utilitarian, but most nerds have altruistic tendencies. Both nerds and geeks are ambitious, but in different ways (Geek: "I want make money with my great programming skills!!", Nerd: "I want to become a famous scientist, more famous than Einstein!!").

The life of a nerd is about accumulating knowledge. Nerds rarely think of using the knowledge they posses. Geeks, on the other hand, do use their knowledge and apply their technological skills in their daily life.

Both nerds and geeks often find it difficult to concentrate on the same activity for too long. This is called attention deficit, and it means that whatever you do, you like to make a pause every some minutes and do something else, and then you return to your previous activity, only to interrupt it soon and resume it later. Nerds that manage to solve this problem can proceed and become real scientists in the academia, since academic positions usually require devotion to a single subject for years (something inconceivable to nerds that have attention deficit problems). Although this is a problem, many nerds feel proud of their attention deficit, because it's something that makes them different and special.

It's also not uncommon for nerds and geeks to have some forms of high-functioning autism. This means that they may have some difficulty communicating with their social environment. Similarly with attention deficit, some nerds are proud if they are autistic.

It is possible for a nerd to have a geeky side. Similarly, some intelligent geeks may have some nerdy characteristics, such as a special interest in science. Actually most nerds and geeks share many common characteristics.

Philosophically, nerds, and in to a less extend geeks, seek self-realisation through the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom.

A geek usually has more social contacts than a nerd, but both geeks and nerds have poor social skills. Both geeks and nerds are proud of their superior intelligence, but usually nerds are more intelligent than geeks.

Nerds like to use their real names on the Internet, often abbreviated as a three-letter acronym formed from the initials of their first name, middle name and last name. Nerds may also form nicknames which may include or be based on their real names, but they never or rarely hide their real names. Geeks on the other hand prefer to hide their true identities and use nicknames, often based on science fiction stories or operating system mascots.

Although nerds and geeks have similarities, they often dislike each other. However, they know that they can enrich themselves via their interaction (for example, a nerd may know perfect Computer Science and Mathematics, while a geek may possess superior programming skills).

NSK believes that a large number of modern nerds overspecialise on some topics, mostly on computers and technology, and invest virtually no time on learning about other fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, engineering, medicine, et cetera. A strong characteristic of many nerds is that they seek general in-depth knowledge in every possible field, even if this knowledge is far outside their own area of specialisation (compare this with most geeks who overspecialise and often ignore general in-depth scientific and technical information outside their field).

Mainstream culture hates the geek and nerd subcultures, but after the emergence of computers society started to accept geeks out of necessity (because of their technological skills). Nerds, however, are still shunned by the society.

Whatever the society thinks of them, both nerds and geeks are proud for what they are.

For the nerds

You're a nerd, dollink.

And again, and more:

2. geek

The term "geek" originally referred to the carnival performers whose act consisted of biting the heads off chickens and eating glass. Over time it came to be applied to anyone who got paid to do work considered odd or bizarre by mainstream society.

The term now enjoys a special status within the technical community, particularly among particularly knowledgable computer programmers. To identify oneself as a "geek" indicates a recognition that most people still consider programming computers to be a bizarre act, along with a certain fierce satisfaction in being very good at their inglorious profession.

That most software geeks now easily earn twice as much as the average laborer just sweetens their defiant embrace of the term.

Note: Unlike the word "nerd," which is always pejorative, "geek" often carries a positive connotation when used by one of the group. The use of the term by outsiders is considered insulting.

"If you really need the right answer, check with Bob; he's our resident alpha geek."
by anonymous Mar 14, 2003

3. Geek

Not to be confused with Nerd. A geek does not have to be smart, a Geek is someone who is generaly not athletic, and enjoys Video Games; Comic Books; being on the internet, and etc.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=geek

heheheh:

1. Nerd

One whose IQ exceeds his weight.

Actually, I think you're a combination...a neek or a gerd....only normaller.

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From Robert Browning's "A Grammarian's Funeral"

Quote:

Well, here's the platform, here's the proper place:
Hail to your purlieus,
All ye highfliers of the feathered race,
Swallows and curlews!
Here's the top-peak; the multitude below
Live, for they can, there:
This man decided not to Live but Know---
Bury this man there?
Here---here's his place, where meteors shoot, clouds form,
Lightnings are loosened,
Stars come and go! Let joy break with the storm,
Peace let the dew send!
Lofty designs must close in like effects
Loftily lying,
Leave him---still loftier than the world suspects,

Poets aren't the only Movers & Shakers of the world.

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I fear the Geeks, my Lord, even when they come bearing gifts. Razz

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Re: Thank you Geeks, one and all.

Dlowan's first source wrote:

In contrast, a geek is a person merely fascinated by technology. Not only that, but many geeks also watch cinema movies or read fiction books. A typical geek's brain probably has active both its logic and imagination centres, while the brain of a nerd may have an extremely active logic centre and an underperforming imagination centre.

Hm. I do read fiction books, and my professional contribution to the world, if any, was to play a small role in helping to make optical networks cheap. So if I'm a nerd, I can't imagine why I wouldn't be a geek too. But maybe that just goes to show my underperforming nerdy imagination center.

Dlowan's third source wrote:

1. Nerd

One whose IQ exceeds his weight.

If weight is measured in pounds, I'm definitely not a nerd by this indicator. If measured in kilogram, it could be close.

dlowan wrote:

Actually, I think you're a combination...a neek or a gerd....only normaller.

Neek sounds nice. I'll take that.

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Noddy24 wrote:

From Robert Browning's "A Grammarian's Funeral"

Quote:
Well, here's the platform, here's the proper place:
Hail to your purlieus,
All ye highfliers of the feathered race,
Swallows and curlews!
Here's the top-peak; the multitude below
Live, for they can, there:
This man decided not to Live but Know---
Bury this man there?
Here---here's his place, where meteors shoot, clouds form,
Lightnings are loosened,
Stars come and go! Let joy break with the storm,
Peace let the dew send!
Lofty designs must close in like effects
Loftily lying,
Leave him---still loftier than the world suspects,

Poets aren't the only Movers & Shakers of the world.

A poem? Here? Wow!

Letty wrote:

I fear the Geeks, my Lord, even when they come bearing gifts.

Indeed. That's when they're dangerous.

Thomas wrote:

Dlowan's first source wrote:
In contrast, a geek is a person merely fascinated by technology. Not only that, but many geeks also watch cinema movies or read fiction books. A typical geek's brain probably has active both its logic and imagination centres, while the brain of a nerd may have an extremely active logic centre and an underperforming imagination centre.

Hm. I do read fiction books, and my professional contribution to the world, if any, was to play a small role in helping to make optical networks cheap. So if I'm a nerd, I can't imagine why I wouldn't be a geek too. But maybe that just goes to show my underperforming nerdy imagination center.

Dlowan's third source wrote:
1. Nerd

One whose IQ exceeds his weight.

If weight is measured in pounds, I'm definitely not a nerd by this indicator. If measured in kilogram, it could be close.

dlowan wrote:
Actually, I think you're a combination...a neek or a gerd....only normaller.

Neek sounds nice. I'll take that.

Ok.

But you'll have to ensure you say it in a deep voice, otherwise you risk sounding a bit like a mouse, or a knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

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dlowan wrote:

But you'll have to ensure you say it in a deep voice, otherwise you risk sounding a bit like a mouse, or a knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

OK. But it's not that I'll have to face the Spanish inquisition over this, will I?

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Thomas wrote:

dlowan wrote:
But you'll have to ensure you say it in a deep voice, otherwise you risk sounding a bit like a mouse, or a knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

OK. But it's not that I'll have to face the Spanish inquisition over this, will I?

Well, I can't say.

Nobody EXPECTS the Spanish Inquisition.

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