NewspaperCrane
Well-Known Member
(This is a Cross Post from my Blog Circuitheap.net)
Freshly (Ish) back from PAX east 2013... What can I say about it? It was amazing. To be in close proximity to 70,000 other likeminded folks is... exhilarating. The fact that there are other people that like the same things that I do and aren't just Avatars manifested on the internet is an amazingly gratifying feeling. Especially with the particular dynamic of what we call "Nerd Culture" at the moment.
I think we're kind of at a crossroads right now. We're in a time where programmers have a lot of power, and that power is Visible. Think of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates... etc. There are other things about our culture coming out into the mainstream like *Shudder* Big Bang Theory. When I went to the eye doctor a while ago, he immediately introduced me to a section of frames which he referred to as "Geek Chic". The Section was filled with thick rimmed glasses which resembled the Common Ray Ban style. Think the glasses spongebob wears in the cartoon show.
Honestly, I was a little offended by this. Is being a nerd really a Fashion Statement now? Does wearing Fixed Rim glasses and a owning a Gameboy make you a nerd? What is being a nerd/Geek about?
One of the things a lot of people seem to argue about these days are the differences between nerd and geek. Nerds being associated with more academic pursuits and Geeks being more associated with less productive things such as gaming. For the purpose of this post, this generally applies to both groups. I also recognized that these groups are neither mutually exclusive, nor collectively exhaustive. This is also just my definition of the difference... I'm sure many will disagree.
Back to the question at hand though... What is being a nerd/geek about? For me it comes down to one word: Passion. What defines someone as a nerd/geek? Passion. It's about enjoying something above anything else. There aren't enough hours in the day to get done the amount of gaming that I want to do. The week needs to be at least three days longer (And of course the work week shortened to get even close. That's what I want to do. If I could spend the rest of my life gaming, I would be happy. I have a passion for that. My interest changes from time to time... I've gone through phases with video gaming, board games and tabletop games (These days I'm moving more into the Tabletop and board gaming arena), but I always end up going back to whichever one I left for a while. One day, I will probably find a new passion... whether that's raising a family, or something career related, but right now this is what I want to do.
I've thought about picking up a second job. Financially it would make a lot of sense. It would make things easier, but literally the first thing that pops into my head is the fact that it would cut into my gaming time, the time I spend with friends, or other free time pursuits that I have. To me, it's not worth it. Time spent with friends around a table playing Sentinels of the Multiverse (One of my current favorite games) or Pathfinder is worth more to me than the money that I could be earning. Money is not my passion in life... it is a means to an end.
It makes me think about a quote from the movie "Office Space":
Our high school guidance counselor used to ask us what you'd do if you had a million dollars and you didn't have to work. And invariably what you'd say was supposed to be your career. So, if you wanted to fix old cars you're supposed to be an auto mechanic.
If I never have to work again, I'd open up a game shop. Something involving a combination of all of the things I'd enjoy. There would probably be a small area where we sold things... but mostly it'd just be a large free play area. Any game you wanted to play, We'd have it... and you could just walk in anytime and find someone to play with. Essentially, It'd be like living in the open gaming area of PAX. That would be my Paradise.
Freshly (Ish) back from PAX east 2013... What can I say about it? It was amazing. To be in close proximity to 70,000 other likeminded folks is... exhilarating. The fact that there are other people that like the same things that I do and aren't just Avatars manifested on the internet is an amazingly gratifying feeling. Especially with the particular dynamic of what we call "Nerd Culture" at the moment.
I think we're kind of at a crossroads right now. We're in a time where programmers have a lot of power, and that power is Visible. Think of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates... etc. There are other things about our culture coming out into the mainstream like *Shudder* Big Bang Theory. When I went to the eye doctor a while ago, he immediately introduced me to a section of frames which he referred to as "Geek Chic". The Section was filled with thick rimmed glasses which resembled the Common Ray Ban style. Think the glasses spongebob wears in the cartoon show.
Honestly, I was a little offended by this. Is being a nerd really a Fashion Statement now? Does wearing Fixed Rim glasses and a owning a Gameboy make you a nerd? What is being a nerd/Geek about?
One of the things a lot of people seem to argue about these days are the differences between nerd and geek. Nerds being associated with more academic pursuits and Geeks being more associated with less productive things such as gaming. For the purpose of this post, this generally applies to both groups. I also recognized that these groups are neither mutually exclusive, nor collectively exhaustive. This is also just my definition of the difference... I'm sure many will disagree.
Back to the question at hand though... What is being a nerd/geek about? For me it comes down to one word: Passion. What defines someone as a nerd/geek? Passion. It's about enjoying something above anything else. There aren't enough hours in the day to get done the amount of gaming that I want to do. The week needs to be at least three days longer (And of course the work week shortened to get even close. That's what I want to do. If I could spend the rest of my life gaming, I would be happy. I have a passion for that. My interest changes from time to time... I've gone through phases with video gaming, board games and tabletop games (These days I'm moving more into the Tabletop and board gaming arena), but I always end up going back to whichever one I left for a while. One day, I will probably find a new passion... whether that's raising a family, or something career related, but right now this is what I want to do.
I've thought about picking up a second job. Financially it would make a lot of sense. It would make things easier, but literally the first thing that pops into my head is the fact that it would cut into my gaming time, the time I spend with friends, or other free time pursuits that I have. To me, it's not worth it. Time spent with friends around a table playing Sentinels of the Multiverse (One of my current favorite games) or Pathfinder is worth more to me than the money that I could be earning. Money is not my passion in life... it is a means to an end.
It makes me think about a quote from the movie "Office Space":
Our high school guidance counselor used to ask us what you'd do if you had a million dollars and you didn't have to work. And invariably what you'd say was supposed to be your career. So, if you wanted to fix old cars you're supposed to be an auto mechanic.
If I never have to work again, I'd open up a game shop. Something involving a combination of all of the things I'd enjoy. There would probably be a small area where we sold things... but mostly it'd just be a large free play area. Any game you wanted to play, We'd have it... and you could just walk in anytime and find someone to play with. Essentially, It'd be like living in the open gaming area of PAX. That would be my Paradise.
