Gah, I've had enough. I've been a geek my entire life, aside from a few short months when my brain had not yet developed sophistication above that of the average walrus, and for most of it I've been pretty happy.

I was always a loner, you see. Had maybe two friends in primary school (still got one of them, Fruan, and I can still hang with the other. If I ever feel like hanging, that is). Then, I discovered everything2. I'm not going to hardlink it, because any of my readers who don't know what it is are stupider than I care to imagine. Now I've got this whole geek culture thing going on. I get more done after 2 am than I otherwise get done in the whole day. Play computer games until long after my family has gone to bed. Make social arrangements via ICQ. Sleep until 11 am, then go to university for some afternoon lectures, during which I cease all nonessential neurological activity.

But this morning I saw the sun rise.
Correction: I did not see the sun rise.
I live in a valley. Instead I saw the sky when it was russet and grey, perfect blue and rose, and finally, the aching gold that I've only ever seen before when climbing to the top of parking buildings to watch the sun set.
Correction: I woke up, lay in bed for several hours trying to stop the toxic pain at the base of my skull by losing consciousness, failed, thought "man, I really should get Carol's number," got up, mumbled at my sister, then did all that colourful stuff.

So, what's my point? Well, I like mornings. They're cute. They allow me to have 3 times the number of meals per day. Any geeks who wanna tell me that sleep debt is good for the soul can go pickle their insides in caffeine. It makes me feel sick and angry. It's fun in moderation, but as a lifestyle I think it's more dangerous to me than hard drugs. I'm going to sleep whenever I damn well feel like it, endorse heartily any Microsoft product that does what I want (endorsement count thus far: 0), speak leet at will, and laugh until it hurts at anyone who tries to tell me to do otherwise.It's not being a geek I reject, but rather forcing anything on myself as a result of being one.

Some geeks have this bizarre elitism thing about sleep deprivation and leetspeek. May their genitals be infested by nanobots, for they are no better than the bigots who moulded their lives by excluding them in school. My life, use your own.

To avoid seeing this message again, please format your hard drive and never bring windows within spitting distance ever again.

I agree wholeheartedly. I consider myself a geek in the truest sense of the word, but I still usually go to bed at night rather than in the morning. The sunrise bit confirms my view that Everythingians are soppy romantics (NSN - node at your own risk), but I prefer working in the daytime to at night. I am not a vampire - I do see daylight (occasionally), and I use Windows! Ha, I feel liberated just saying it! Just because I am a geek, just because I can spout mathematical formulae without drawing breath, just because I actually understand the technobabble on Star Trek, just because I actually design websites for a living, does not require me to use UNIX or linux! I use Windows! I use MS Office! I enjoy every crappy feature of Internet Explorer! OK, I still hate Front Page and write my HTML in an ASCII editor, but I reserve the right to like programs that are easy to use, and I will not be told to use a different operating system!

And I like it.

Remember when geek used to be a touchy word? I always considered it similar to how some african americans see the word nigger. If used by one who you consider to be a comrade in your subculture, it's a word of familiarity, even a compliment. But, if used by an outsider, it's a terrible insult. I remember when I was in high school, and the jocks and preps used to call me a geek. Now, those same people are a part of popular mass media. They think it's okay to say (even though they're still basically insulting us) because they use it in a context of talking about how we're all rich and powerful now, just like Bill Gates. That shit pisses me off. It makes me wish I could walk up to those reporters and journalists, and punch them in the face. I am not defined by the operating system I use. You cannot pretend to admire my lifestyle, or understand what it is to be me. Maybe, if you tried talking to me in high school, instead of beating me up, and asking me if I'm a fag, I would have turned out to be more socially skilled. Maybe if I had really felt accepted by society, I would have gone and hung out at the mall, instead of sitting in my bedroom all night, calling BBSs.

Granted, I'm glad my life is the way it is, and I wouldnt want it any other way, but I get pissed off when people talk about my life like it's interesting and cute when it's in part a product of their opression. So, fuck off, and stop calling me a geek, I havent bitten the heads off any chickens lately, and i'm not planning on it anytime soon.

Gr, Jon Katz. At times I get the feeling that he's begging for a militant geek revolution.
It's bad enough that he's helped plod along the delusion that those who use Linux/Computers/Technology, read Slashdot and were oppressed in High School are better than everyone else....
It's bad enough he's helped expand the word geek to include anyone who doesn't appreciate MTV....
it's bad enough he's making people worry about how geek they are....
But for Geeks to rise up and oppress their oppressors? Sheesh.

Understand this.

Geeks are geeks among geeks
The Weird are weird among the weird

In a few years this geek shit will go and the kids will find something else to play. Those that remain were there before and aren't leaving. Screw this geek culture FAD

Mommy, did I just rant?

I still like Jon Katz, but he pisses me sometimes.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.