Nilesh.org Notes on technology and everything else

Tushar claims to be seeing a female geek. So far a demo is still awaited.

I'm a geek and I'm proud. As a grownup geek, I get asked a lot by my male collegues how I got to be a geek and why aren't there more women geeks. I think thatjust as many girls are born to be geeks as boys are, but girls are pressured to abandon their geekyness. The pressure comes from everywhere, but especially from non-geeky girls.

>I'd be interested in your full definition of a geek I quote from Wikipedia -

A person that is into technology, especially computing and new media. Comparable with the classic definition of hacker.

A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.

There are many varieties of geek. The computer geek is best known, but every field of academia and many areas of culture have their geeks. There are politics geeks, geography geeks, geeks of the natural sciences, music geeks, history geeks, linguistics geeks, ham radio geeks, public transit geeks (metrophiles), anime and manga geeks (otaku), Star Trek geeks, geeks of many colours, genders, and styles.

Definitions apart, it's basically how you feel about a particular subject of interest.

I'd be interested in your full definition of a geek. I probably qualify (age 33), but not so geeky that I don't have a life outside computers and gadgets. However, I would agree that sci-fi is the realm of the imagination and a definite indicator of geekiness :)

Gak! Kingsley. Waddoyou mean it took you a while to find women you like HHGTG ??? Douglas Adams is(was) awesome. Its was pretty sad when two of my favourite authors died within 3 days or each other - Douglas Adams and RK Narayan. At the risk of sounding cliched, I think society does have a part in this geek segregation - certain things are expected out of girls and they are chanelled in a certain way consciencely of unconsciencely. Guys are pretty much left to themselves to evolve. That's where the big difference comes in. If you want to discuss this further, drop me a line via email.

A geek always remains a geek. He displays those traits knowingly or unknowingly. And that can be identified. :-) And geeks aren't the way you portray them to be - less sociable. Geeks are quite different from nerds. Nerds have always been socially inept. Not so with geeks. Be proud to be a geek. I am a geek not a nerd. :-) And I am talking about geeky women, not nerdy girls :-)

When I was a geek(some say I still am), I found it difficult to focus on my emotional side. It was as if my logical brain took over completely. May be women are apprehensive about that happening to them? The two genders do generally value different things to different extents. But yeah, I've never quite gotten the hang of why there aren't any women geeks. It took me quite a while to even find women friends who enjoyed the Hitch Hikers guide or any sci-fi for that matter. But then, I'm not giving up yet :) Besides, I became less geeky so that I could relate to more of the planet, and I'm quite happy I did.