Computer Techs Don't Like to be Called Geeks

I'm surprised at the number of people who call me a geek - even when they're asking a favor of me! Why would anybody want to be called a geek?

My answer is to charge full price to people who use derogatory terms like geek. Or get stupid in a hurry, "Gosh, I've never heard of anything like that. Your best bet is to take it to the store your bought it from."

I've enjoyed working on computers ever since they first came out. I thought it would be neat to do it for a living. I was wrong. Yuk! I couldn't develop a thick enough skin to all the hostility.

:shrug:

A dork is still a dork, and a nerd is still a nerd, though. Dork and nerd are not nice words, but geek has become a compliment.

I prefer to be called a tech rather than a geek because of the effort it took to learn my trade. It isn't just aptitude - I had to pay for what I know. Lots of times people claim more expertise than they actually have. A friend of mine brought her machine back to the retailer because it was shutting down by itself. The tech monkeyed around with no success. Finally it stopped booting altogether, he said, and he recommended a new motherboard. She brought it to me because she didn't have a couple of hundred dollars.

I could see that the machine had been overheating - she'd been blowing cigarette smoke into the computer, and dust was collecting inside the heat sink, clogging it. When the processor hit a certain temperature, it stopped working. After I cleaned out the dust I noticed that the tech had dislodged a memory stick. That was the reason it wasn't booting. I charged her $30. She gave me 40, and promised not to call me a geek.

Indeed, for many sci-fi shows today, geeks would not be bothered to watch because they aren't geeky at all (they're mass produced, like frosted flakes - which describes most of the writers and producers of those shows too...).

Never mind the original definition of a 'geek' was a circus performer who bites the heads off of live chickens. Far different from the technically savvy or readers/watchers of proper sci-fi...

...even depending upon tone of voice and facial expression. It behooves people not to throw them about in ignorance. Me, I aspire to geekhood, but it's not a term I assign to strangers.

:evilgrin:

what passes for sci fi on the so called sci fi channel. It's horrible.

:hug:

Most people I know think geeks are awesome.

call themselves geeks. My geek boyfriend calls himself a geek. :shrug:

But I got help from a computer technician yesterday and I felt like kissing her when I was re-connected.

It's landed a few people in trouble already.

There used to be a DUer with the username "Geek Tragedy". I haven't seen that name lately, have you?

Thank you very much for this unusual pun. Did you know that the Detroit Tigers gave Lee Iaccoca a souvenir baseball bat? He kept it in his office and called it the Auto Exec Bat.

I'm proud to be a geek

and I love geeks. Since I got into the field ten years ago I don't have the depth that some of my peers do- nor the interest to spend my free time on computers. I admire and appreciate geeks greatly.

Yes, you're right about legendary guys who know all the esoterica. They've been doing it forever and they have great diagnostic intuition.

I've been impressed by video game players and their knowledge of hardware. They're not necessarily geeks but they're up on technology. However, I wouldn't go to a video game guy to fix a virus - even though they might know how to do it. Hey, reformat the hard drive . . .

Because the ones I know I would go to in a heartbeat to fix shit before I'd actually pay someone.

You must not have ever been to a LAN party.

The point about viruses is that you have to keep up to date because new viruses come out all the time - often faster than the anti-virus programs can keep up. Gamers may know a lot about overclocking, etc., but if they're not up to date they may not be aware of a particular patch. That's just because they don't fix computers for a living. But I agree, getting something free is usually better than paying for it.

So just being a techie doesn't make one a geek

Being a techie and having the Corscant plug-in for Google Earth is.

- nobody is hostile towards him cuz he always fixes stuff and invents cool new stuff too he's so handy... :D

I don't look like Steve Urkel, or any of the guys from the Revenge of the Nerds movies, so I'm not concerned with it, but to each their own, I guess.

My husband is a geek for fun, my friend does it for the state of Oklahoma for a living. They are self described geeks. Embrace it. I really doubt people are being hostile. After all, there is a business for repairing computers called the GEEK Squad. They suck, but people think it's ok now. :shrug:
Duckie

I'm annoyed at the Geek Squad for calling themselves that name. To me, that's pandering to the popular misconception that computer work is less serious than say, carpentry or plumbing. Rather than just "get over it" I tell people I don't want to be called a geek. If they persist, I'm not going to enable them by giving free technical advice anyhow. If it's all that important to them to use a term that annoys me, they can continue to do so. It's their choice. Frankly, they should get over it.