March 1st, 2006
You Know You’re a Geek If You…
I’ve discussed the problem of geek control of Web 2.0, along with many others including Umair Haque, Pete Cashmore, David Beisel, and Fraser Kelton. (Hit tip to Pete for pulling together the threads.)
This new Geeks for Non-Geeks movement got me thinking about the evolving definition of a “geek.” The following is just a first draft, so please feel free to add, subtract, and amend as you see fit — realizing, of course, that if you do so, you are a geek.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE A GEEK IF YOU…
1. Have a blog
Yes, blogging software has made it “easy,” but it’s still an inherently geeky thing to do
2. Knowingly use RSS
Or if you know what RSS stands for
3. Understand Web 2.0
Even having heard of the term probably qualifies you
4. Think anything built with Ajax is “cool”
Again, knowing what Ajax is also qualifies you
5. Think blog “A-Listers” are “cool”
We are what we aspire to be
6. Use a “memetracker”
Or if you can define the term
7. Want to own your “attention data”
Or if you know what that means
8. Podcast
Or even if you listen to podcasts
9. Use a beta version of anything
Or if you know what that means
10. Were ever picked on in school
Most of us have been geeks all our lives
Geeks are the trailblazers of the world — the problem is, we’re not nearly as good at mainstreaming our discoveries.
So be proud to be a geek — geeks are the new “cool kids” — but don’t make the mistake of thinking that everyone else is as “cool” as you are.
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Yes to 1-9. No to number 10. So, what am I? Here’s what my personality test says:
http://www.personaldna.com/report.php?k=swjDijfggIHfRZb-OK-ADACA-0bce
I actually think the bar is higher for true geeks, particularly in this techy world. I mean if all it takes is to know what AJAX is . . .
Nerd Pride!
“(body) Nerd pride - The Nerd Pride movement, modeled on the Gay Pride movement, was started at MIT by Professors Gerald Sussman and Hal Abelson. Nerd pride paraphernalia includes baseball hats, buttons and - of course - pocket protectors.
“My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about the peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd - where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance”.
– Gerald Sussman, quoted by Katie Hafner, “New York Times”, 1994-08-29.”
1. Have a blog
Just started a week ago http://blog.crisscross.com
However, I much prefer to write comments on other people’s blogs. BTW, don’t you think it is a bit selfish when people comment about your posts on their blogs instead of commenting on yours? Or is that just the way it is?
2. Knowingly use RSS
Just got multiple feeds going in IE7 yesterday. So I have been actually using RSS for one day, even though in all of my sites we have been supplying RSS feeds for a couple of years
3. Understand Web 2.0
The Web 2.0 uncertainty principle: If you understand it, you don’t know it.
4. Think anything built with Ajax is “coolâ€Â
If you look at most AJAX functions you will notice that they don’t actually save the user much time. Even so they make the page slicker. However, I don’t think anything built with Ajax is cool. Ajax doth not the product make.
5. Think blog “A-Listers†are “coolâ€Â
Nope. I think end-users are cool.
6. Use a “memetrackerâ€Â
Nope. I don’t want to work to get my news.
7. Want to own your “attention dataâ€Â
Whatever.
8. Podcast
Never listened to one, but have written a business plan and got sponsorship for a professional-quality podcast we will start shortly about Tokyo life
9. Use a beta version of anything
Everything I make is a beta
10. Were ever picked on in school
Unfortunately, yes.
Didn’t you miss out “11. Think corporations are evil (especailly Microsoft, and except Google)”?
I suppose what I learned form the above is that you don’t need to actually use something (RSS, Web 2.0, Ajax) to know it’s value, but it probably helps.
Yep - this is a bingo.
Ten out of ten for me.
Nicely done.
Tom
[…] You Know You’re a Geek If You…I’ve discussed the problem of geek control of Web 2.0, along with many others including Umair Haque, Pete Cashmore, David Beisel, and Fraser Kelton. (Hit tip to Pete for pulling together the threads.) This new Geeks for Non-Geeks movement got me thinking about the evolving definition of a “geek.” The following is just a first draft, […] read more […]
[…] Ok, everyone else is doing lists on telling whether or not you’re a geek. Here comes mine. […]
Part of the art of being a cool kid is knowing how to attach yourself to trends that will soon spill over into the mainstream. This way you get to say “I was doing that before everyone else” (and get dates). The geek value proposition is similar - find something that’s valuable to your fellow nerds and rework it into a mainstream utility (and get VC).
It also works in reverse - geeks, to be cool, just apply your energies towards fashion and music. Shopping at the right stores and finding the right parties is just like staying on top of the latest Rails revs - once you subscribe to the right blogs and apply the conventional group wisdom, everything works out.
Why listen to me? Cool kids: APC New Standards, AF1s, Bowery loft. Geeks: Web.py, to_json.
[…] The Web 2.0 uncertainty principle What originally caught my attention was # 7 of Scott Karp’s ‘You know if you’re a geek if’ you…’ But then I read Mark Devlin’s comment on Scott’s post: “The Web 2.0 uncertainty principle: If you understand it, you don’t know it.” It all suddenly fell into place… - Tags: Web 2.0, Attention Filed Under: Web, Tech, Web 2.0, Attention […]
to see traditional media companies embracing user content and recognizing that providing tools and filters is the answer - rather than grimly trying to hold on to 20th century broadcast culture. This is what mainstreaming the Read/Write Web is about. [IMG]
[…] Scott Krap posted a about the evolving definition of “geek”, and did a first draft of a new test to measure your geekiness: […]
And 11…
Say “mainstreaming” with a straight face…
What bloggers need to tell everybody else…
Blogging is still an inherently geeky thing to do. Scott Karp said that the other day, and he is entirely correct. While far more people know what a blog is today, than they did say in 2003, and far more people are reading them, they are still not a…
i’m japanese but i think this applies to me and the other bloggers in japan as well.
[…] Scott Karpçš„ ‘You know if you’re a geek if you…’列出了一些Geek的一些定义，仅仅是一个构想，还在陆ç»Â增加ä¸Â。评论ä¸Â倒是有一个更引人注目的： […]
ã¨ãªã£ã¦ã„る。 　　å°Âçâ€Å¸Ã£Â¯ï¼Œãƒ–ãƒÂグを書ã„ã¦ã„るã—，RSSã‚’ã¡ょã£ã¨ã ã‘知ã£ã¦ã„るã—，Podcastã‚’è´ã„ã¦ã„る。ã¨ã„ã†ã“ã¨ã¯・・・。やã£ã±り変人ã‹。　 â—‡å‚考 ・You Know You’re a Geek If You…（Publishing 2.0）
８．ãƒÂッドã‚Âャスト ９．ã„ã‚Âã‚“ãªベータãƒÂージョンを使ã†１ï¼Â．å¦校ã§ã¯ã¤ã¾ã¯ã˜ãÂÂã ã£ãŸ 　→大åŠã®人ãŸã¡ã¯一çâ€Å¸Ã£ÂŠãŸãÂÂã§ã‚る。 （ãƒÂタ元：Publishing 2.0 » You Know You’re a Geek If You…） 7. Want to own your “attention data†ã¨ 10. Were ever picked on in school ã¯フィーリングã§訳ã—ã¦ã—ã¾ã„ã¾ã—ãŸ。詳ã—ã„人ã€Âæ•™ãˆã¦ãÂÂã ã•ã„。 geekãŒ良ã„ãÂܾ⻋„ã‹ã®判æ–Âã¯ã¹ã¤ã®ã¨ã“ã‚Âã§。
Geek診æ–Â
[…] The difficulty in commercializing Web 2.0 ventures becomes apparent in the content and discussion around Scott’s post, You Know You’re a Geek If You…. […]
Publishing 2.0
[…] The Web 2.0 uncertainty principle: If you understand it, you don’t know it. (Cem) […]
[…] on this test also do well on the geek test. Scott Karp – March 19th, 2006 | Email | Print | Link Article Tags: Web2.0 […]
As for the definition ofgeek 2.0, I certainly know a lot of what they are talking about.
As for the definition ofgeek 2.0, I certainly know a lot of what they are talking about.
As for the definition of geek 2.0, I certainly know a lot of what they are talking about.
[…] I suspect the those who do well on this test also do well on the geek test. […]
[…] If the low (conscious) adoption rate for RSS brings you down, then don’t look at the new Forrester study on podcasting (via Charlene Li) — the adoption rate for podcasting is a paltry 1%, i.e. podcasting is still just for geeks. And to make matters worse: And when you include all of the people who are just interested or have used podcasts, they strongly favor listening to existing content like Internet radio or broadcast radio, not necessarily new content. (And for newspapers thinking about podcasting, putting print stories into audio format just ranked ahead of original content from bloggers) I think this has something to do with 1) original content just isn’t as well known; and 2) existing content benefits from users that simply want to time shift it. […]
[…] Scott Krap posted a about the evolving definition of geek, and did a first draft of a new test to measure your geekiness: […]
You Know You’re a Geek If You…
[…] He covered all of the late 60’s equivalent geek requirements. And, lucky for your web 2.0 venture, he provides a roadmap for success. How? Let’s step back for a second. […]
ã²ã‚‡ã£ã¨ã™ã‚‹ã¨ã€ã“れ㯠Geek Food ãªã‚“ã§ã—ょã†ã‹ã€‚ è²·ã„ç½®ãã—ã¦ãŠãã¨ã€å¿™ã—ã„ã¨ããªã©ã«ã‚‚良ã•ãã†ã§ã™ã€‚ã•ã°ã‚‚ã„ã‚ã—ã‚‚ã€ã©ã£ã¡ã‚‚美味ã§ã—ãŸã€‚ギークãªæ–¹ã€…ã‚‚ãã†ã§ãªã„皆ã•ã‚“ã‚‚ã€ãœã²ä¸€åº¦ãŠãŸã‚ã—を。
Geekã¨ã„ã†å˜èªžã‚’知ã£ã¦ã‹ã‚‰çµæ§‹ãªæ™‚é–“ãŒçµŒã¤ãŒã€æ„味ã¯Maniaã®è‚¯å®šçš„ãªè¡¨ç¾ã¨ã—ã‹æ•ã‚‰ãˆã¦ã„ãªã„。ã“ã®Geekã¨ã„ã†å˜èªžã«é–¢ã—ã¦ã€Webã§è©³ç´°ãªæƒ…å ±ã‚’è¦‹ã¤ã‘ãŸã®ã§è¨˜ã—ã¦ãŠã。 Publishing 2.0 » You Know You’re a Geek If You…