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Revision as of 02:11, 2 March 2014 by Solarlive (talk | contribs) (→Controversy surrounding tech geeks)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about the term geek itself, as well as the modern meaning. For the circus performer, see Geek show. For the 1971 film, see The Geek. For the 2004 film, see Geeks (film).
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A person with an appreciation for mathematics may be called a geek. Here, an approximation of the number π (pi) extends from the logo on a car parked at University of California, Irvine (although note that the last two digits have been transposed).

The word geek is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people, with different connotations ranging from an expert or enthusiast to a person heavily interested in a hobby, with a general pejorative meaning of a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.

Although often considered as a pejorative, the term is also used self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride. Its meaning has evolved to connote "someone who is interested in a subject (usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake."

Etymology

This word comes from English dialect geek or geck (meaning a "fool" or "freak"; from Middle Low German Geck). This root survives in the Dutch and Afrikaans adjective gek ("crazy"), as well as some German dialects, and in the Alsatian word Gickeleshut ("jester's hat"; used during carnival). In 18th century Austria-Hungary, Gecken were freaks on display in some circuses. In 19th century North America, the term geek referred to a performer in a geek show in a circus or travelling carnival side-shows (see also freak show). The 1976 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary included only the definition regarding geek shows. Wrestler Freddie Blassie originated the term pencil necked geek.

The Scandinavian cognates of the term carry a slightly different meaning of making a fool out of someone else. This is evident in the transitive verb gäcka in Swedish and the phrase drive gæk med in Danish, both of which mean to outsmart or to fool, as in the Swedish expression att gäcka rättvisan ("to cunningly escape justice"). In Denmark, the Easter tradition of sending anonymous paper-cut letters called gækkebreve is intended to puzzle or tease the recipient.

In English, the word appears in the modern sense of a science, math or technology enthusiast in Robert Heinlein's 1952 short story The Year of the Jackpot.

Definitions

The definition of geek has changed considerably over time, and there is no longer a definitive meaning. The term nerd has a similar, practically synonymous meaning as geek, but many choose to identify different connotations among these two terms, although the differences are disputed. In a 2007 interview on The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done" or "ggid" Julie Smith defined a geek as "a bright young man turned inward, poorly socialized, who felt so little kinship with his own planet that he routinely traveled to the ones invented by his favorite authors, who thought of that secret, dreamy place his computer took him to as cyberspace—somewhere exciting, a place more real than his own life, a land he could conquer, not a drab teenager's room in his parents' house."

Some claim that the acronym "G.E.E.K." used to denote "General Electrical Engineering Knowledge" in the US military parlance.

There are many categories of geeks, such as: science geeks, math geeks (maths geeks, in British English), computer geeks, history geeks, gaming geeks, etc.

Impact

Technology oriented geeks, in particular, now exert a powerful influence over the global economy and society. Whereas previous generations of geeks tended to operate in research departments, laboratories and support functions, now they increasingly occupy senior corporate positions, and wield considerable commercial and political influence. When U.S. President Barack Obama met with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and the CEOs of the world’s largest technology firms at a private dinner in Woodside, California on 17 February 2011, New York magazine ran a story titled ‘The world’s most powerful man meets President Obama.’ At the time, Zuckerberg’s company had grown to over one billion users.

According to Mark Roeder the rise of the geek represents a new phase of human evolution. In his book, Unnatural Selection: why the geeks will inherit the earth, he suggests that ‘the high-tech environment of the Anthropocene favours people with geek-like traits, many of whom are on the autism spectrum, ADHD, or dyslexia. Previously, such people may have been at a disadvantage, but now their unique cognitive traits enable some of them to resonate with the new technological zeitgeist and become very successful.’

The Economist magazine observed, on 2 June 2012, ‘Those square pegs (geeks) may not have an easy time in school. They may be mocked by jocks and ignored at parties. But these days no serious organisation can prosper without them.’

Controversy surrounding tech geeks

Tech geek as a term is increasingly used in the pejorative to suggest a litany of character flaws, including elitism, selfishness, sexism, ageism, and lacking compassion for other human beings. This is due to an anti-tech backlash in areas where their presence is deemed burdensome. Often such obnoxious or even sexist male tech geeks when they are computer programmers are referred to with the term brogrammer. Obnoxious narcissistic exhibitionism by tech geeks, especially the founders of start-ups have been prominent in the media and indeed such coverage is now a daily occurrence. Many in the high tech industry agree that before the Dotcom bubble, technology professionals were largely harmless docile men, and that the bubble pulled in many with more abrasive Type A personalities as well as crass people for whom "greed is good". Tech geeks who have been notorious and condemned include Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, both of whose management styles involved yelling at people; the founders of Napster; Nick Starr; Peter Shih of start-up TryCelery.com; and the recently arrested Motionloft CEO Jon Mills.

Geek chic

"Geek chic" refers to a minor fashion trend that arose in the mid 2000s in which young individuals adopted stereotypically "geeky" fashions, such as oversized black horn-rimmed glasses, suspenders/braces, and highwater trousers. The glasses—sometimes worn with non-prescription lenses or without lenses—quickly became the defining aspect of the trend, with the media identifying various celebrities as "trying geek" or "going geek" for wearing such glasses, such as David Beckham, Justin Timberlake, and Myleene Klass. Meanwhile, in the sports world, many NBA players wore "geek glasses" during post-game interviews, drawing comparisons to Steve Urkel.

As many of the other identifying characteristics of the trend, such as clip-on suspenders worn with short-sleeved shirts, were unsuitable for the business environment into which young adherents were entering, the trend quickly died out. However, heightened media awareness of the hipster subculture, which had simultaneously embraced thick-rimmed glasses, led to a conflation of hipster aesthetics with "geek chic." As a result, the media and social commentators continued erroneously referring to hipsters as "geek chic" after the trend had faded. The term is now nominally used in the world of retail optics, where it is similarly erroneously applied to both hipsters as well as retro style.

Self-application

In the wake of the fashion trend, the term "geek chic" was appropriated by some self-identified "geeks" to refer to a new, socially acceptable role in a technologically advanced society.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Geek". Dictionary.com-Merriam-Webster entry. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  2. "Geek". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  3. The Colbert Report 17th of January video interview Richard Clarke
  4. Reconstruction 6.1 (Winter 2006)
  5. http://www.acronymfinder.com/General-Electrical-Engineering-Knowledge-(GEEK).html
  6. The world’s most powerful man meets President Obama. Dan Amira. 18 February 2011. New York Magazine. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/02/the_worlds_most_powerful_man_m.html
  7. Unnatural Selection by Mark Roeder. http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Unnatural-Selection-Why-Geeks-Will-Inherit-Earth-Mark-Roeder/?isbn=9781743095683
  8. In praise of misfits. Economist. 2 June 2012. http://www.economist.com/node/21556230
  9. Sam Biddle (Dec 2013), Happy Holidays: Startup CEO Complains SF Is Full of Human Trash
  10. Reuters (11-27-2012), Special Report: Silicon Valley's dirty secret - age bias {{citation}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "urlhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-valley-ageism-idUSBRE8AQ0JK20121127" ignored (help)
  11. Matt Asay (9-27-2013), Jimmy Wales To Silicon Valley: Grow Up And Get Over Your Age Bias {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. Tom Kaneshige (Aug 2013), Is Silicon Valley's Youth Movement Really Just Age Discrimination?
  13. Jon Swartz (Feb 2014), An anti-tech backlash in San Francisco
  14. Jon Low (Aug 15 2013), Tale of Two Cities: San Francisco's Tech Backlash {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. Zerohedge (Dec 2013), The Arrogance of Silicon Valley
  16. Sam Biddle (11/13/2013), Seattle Asshole Demands Employee Firing Over Bar's Google Glass Policy {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. Wilkey (08-16-2013), Peter Shih '10 Things I Hate About You' Post Draws San Francisco's Ire, Confirms Startup Stereotypes {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. Sam Biddle (Feb 2014), Ousted Startup CEO Jon Mills Facing 20 Years in Prison for Fraud
  19. "Geeky Becks' specs appeal". The Sun. September 12, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  20. "Nice glasses! Justin Timberlake is bringing geek chic back at the Social Network premiere". Daily Mail. September 25, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  21. stylelist.com: Myleene Klass geek chic
  22. "Whacky NBA Playoff Fashion!". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  23. Cacciola, Scott (2012-06-14). "NBA Finals: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Other Fashion Plates of the NBA Make Specs of Themselves - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  24. Fassel, Preston. "Geek Chic Was Last Week: Understanding the Retro Craze". The Optician's Handbook. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  25. How Stuff works: Geek Chic

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