CityTV story about Dell and pre-installed linux, from linuxcaffe

[Evan Leibovitch]

> So, how do we put some distance between us and the
> geek label? Or is it even worth doing?
>   

I think that the answers to both questions are personal rather than
group decisions. In many cases they're also complex questions.

Arguably, being considered a geek can be considered a better stereotype
than being boring. Being involved in computers, in itself, is
insufficient, for geekdom. That usually goes along with (IMO):
- difficulty in avoiding use of logic to solve illogical (ie, emotional
or political) problems
- more than a passing interest in science fiction
- knowing computer languages as well as (or better than!) spoken ones
- preferring email or IM communications over face-to-face
- attempts to be helpful that are interpreted as being a "know-it-all"
- a POV that technology is an end to itself rather than the source of
tools to do "other" things
- dependecny on technology as a source of recreation as well as income

Having said all this, being seen as a geek -- in itself -- isn't as
negative as it used to be. The richest person in the world, widely
admired, is generally considered to be one (even if hardcore geeks would
disagree). Movies such as Independence Day have elevated tech-heads to
hero status, on par with the muscle-bounds. I personally liked the role
Seth Green played in the (newer) Italian Job. Negative examples of
geeks, such as Neil Goldman on Family Guy, concentrate on anti-social
mannerisms more than tech as the basis for the ridicule. The inference
often made is that tech-heads relate to inanimate objects better than
they do to real people, which is occasionally still accurate. But, as
was mentioned about the bike-modding gear-head, that doesn't just apply
to computer folks. :-P

It also doesn't appear to help that, at a time when there are more women
in many traditionally male-dominated fields, the gender gap in IT is
actually growing:
http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,2110748,00.asp?kc=CMCIOEMNL040307EP23
This may ironically mean that being involved in IT may be more of a
macho thing than ever. :-)

- Evan

PS: My favourite "you might be a geek if..."  list is at
http://www.julen.net/ephemera/pub/Geek.html
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