The "Geek" Survey - Stereotypes

[Mazza558]

I was reading an article today in the Sunday Times (blah) about the rise of women on the internet, and it mentioned that net users and tech savvy people are beginning to lose their stereotype of a pasty-faced guy with glasses (*cough* my avatar *cough*) and instead apply to anyone. It also mentioned that even though there are more women using the web (specifically social networking and blogging sites), the people who build the sites and write software are predominantly men.

So, here's a completely flexible "mini survey" about the stereotype of being a "geek" or not. You can answer any of these questions - you don't need to answer all of them if you don't want to.

EDIT: Definitions of a "geek" (specific to computers) according to Wikipedia:


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. This definition is very broad but because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as "geeky" is heavily debated. Persons have been labelled as or chosen to identify as mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephile), comic book geeks, theatre geeks, history geeks, gamer geeks, music geeks, art geeks, philosophy geeks, literature geeks, and roleplay geeks.


A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. Most geeks are adept with computers, and treat the term hacker as a term of respect, but not all are hackers themselves.


Do you think you are a "geek"?
Do your friends / family think so?
Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?

[Chilli Bob]

1. Yes, but I hope to become geekier.
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Minority
5. No
6. Yes
7. Double plus yes
8. Only One

[Nevon]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Most definitely, yes.

2. Do your friends / family think so?
Yes.

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Kind of. I don't live with my parents, so I'm no longer their main tech guy. And my friends are either tech savvy enough to fix their own problems, or they know someone (other than me) that they can ask.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Hmm. They do fit the profile in that most of them are what I suppose you could call outsiders, but they're not really geeks. I'm probably the only real geek among us.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
No, but I think the idea of what people perceive as geeky is changing. Suddenly it has become kind of a fad to be a "geek". And everyone who has ever read a comic book, or knows how to use the extremely non-geeky <FONT>-tag are calling themselves geeks.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
Not really. I have pale skin and I'm pretty skinny, but those are really the only characteristics of a geek that apply to me.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
No, not really. Most people don't know what Linux is, and if I were to tell them, they'd just go "oh, that's nice".

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
I try not to talk about it all that much. My friends are really not the Linux types (except one, and he's the one that converted me), and I know that if I introduced my family to it, I'd have to be their main tech guy again.

EDIT: XD A minute after posting this, a friend of mine says to me over MSN "Haha, I'm such a nerd! I just bought a webcam! How geeky am I?"

[corney91]

Do you think you are a "geek"?
I guess so...

Do your friends / family think so? Probably

Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group? Yes, although I tend to delegate Windows jobs to my brother ;)

In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority? A minority (although a fairly large minority)

Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes? Well, that's what the Sunday Times says, so it must be true :p

Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street? Possibly, depends how 'geeky' they are. If they're wearing a "I will not fix your computer" T-Shirt

If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"? Meh, depends. For me it does because I spend my whole day tinkering with it :)

Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?

Some do - between a third and a half, at a guess.

[sajro]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Yes

2. Do your friends / family think so?
YES!

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Yes, but I only do Linux, Mac (OS X), and BSD. I remember zero common fixes in ******* because I haven't used it in over six months.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Well, I have a friend who is learning web programming/markup. He wears glasses, but he isn't pasty. He does however spend a lot of time in the basement (but we're 13 and there's a 50-inch TV with a Wii down there, so that's excusable). I have one more friend who wants so badly to be a Linux nerd but his dad has a massive dam full of FUD so he's stuck with *******. My other friends aren't very technical and I'm cool with that. Makes me feel smarter around computers. :)

I myself don't much fit the stereotype. I am a pale-ish white guy but that's it. I'm a kid (to some, TECHNICALLY a teenager) who skateboards, plays trumpet and guitar, and happens to enjoy nerdy stuff too.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Yes, because the stereotype was wrong to begin with.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
No, unless they're like me and have shirts with Tux on them.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
No, I just feel I learn more using it and I feel more secure online with it.

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
My mom is an averager (does it email and browse? okay it's good), my dad worked with computers since the days when you splurged to get 10k of RAM (which he did) and you loaded your homemade programs in on a precise volume on a tape. He finds it absolutely amazing.

My friends...well, one of them has simply seen IceWM and thought it was awesome. Wait till I show him KDE4 and Compiz! (He has an awfully high-powered laptop.) I might just convert his whole family and subsequently many people in Chattanooga or Knoxville. This family publishes a free magazine (Natural Awakenings TN - the site runs on Python, Zope, Plone, on Apache running on BSD) and if they happened to recommend Linux...dang!


So, those are my answers.

[Iceni]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Not really.

2. Do your friends / family think so?
No.

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Usually. I charge people nowadays.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
I have so many. A few are geeks, some are more geeky than me. I guess very few of them fit the sterotype. Maybe only 3-4. More of them are geeks than fit the stereotype.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
I think so. From being the weird nerd in grad school, high school and college I'm now a cool guy because I can do things they can't.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
Not anymore. We look like everybody else.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Surprisingly many of my friends have an idea of what linux is:)

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
They very much do. Some of them want it, they all like to use my computer(s) and they are almost all curious. It helps to show off stuff like compiz and blueproximity:)

[1010011010]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?

According to the posted definition, yes, but only because of the 'mainstream' part.

2. Do your friends / family think so?

I don't know if geek is exactly the right word... I defy being categorized... anyone that knows me will appreciate that.

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?

Definitely. I have fun with it, though. Lots of opportunities to learn.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?

No... few of my friends share my enjoyment of computers.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?

They are now- the new 'cool.'

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?

Not really, but maybe if you know what to look for, I think the geek stereotype has shifted.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?

Nah, baby, I'm a trendsetter.

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?

No. Absolutely not. :)

[zcal]

1. Do you think you are a geek?
Sometimes, but postmodernity makes static definitions of identity tough to fully achieve.

2. Do your friends / family think so?
I'm not sure. They probably do sometimes, but I've never asked.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
A friend of mine once became confused as to why my desktop looked so unlike his Windows laptop's. Upon explaining that it was, in fact, not Windows, he told me that I was "such an eccentric."

Here's eccentricity as defined on Wikipedia.

In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with "normal" behavior, the nearly universal means by which individuals in society solve given problems and pursue certain priorities in everyday life. For people who consistently display benignly eccentric behavior, there is a label: "eccentrics".

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
Only those who are actively interested in it, as far as I know. ;)

[uberlube]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Yes
2. Do your friends / family think so?
Yes
3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Yes
4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Yup they're all geeks in their own fields
5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Yes, with all the jobs out there now that demand tech-savvy people, it is now alot cooler to be a geek.
6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
Yes, my geeky-sense tingles.
7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Oh ya, by far!
8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
Yup especially my old man. He's a programmer that is stuck using windows at work and he started taking notic to Linux after I showed it to him.

[Scarath]

@ the OP

As Im sure you know the sunday times is written by people who dont have a clue about the subjects they are writing about. I read that article today too (we get the sunday times in the place I work) and it is typical of the kind of crap they always write.
Just like the articles they write about computers using linux (see any eee review in any paper) that claims linux is only for low end / old machines, etc.
The writers in the sunday times call crackers hackers, have only the most shallow/basic/surface knowledge of what they are talking about (in most subject areas not just tech) and just to set their stupidity in stone they write asif they speak the absolute truth about everything.
Girls on the internet wooooooo thrilling and newsworthy, yeah right, they fill a large section of the page with that crap and other (world news) only gets a few square inches. Bah.
The main papers are a joke.
Not quite sure where this rant is going but Im at work with only that terrible rag and a narrow net connection to keep me sane.

[popch]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?

No. I am a pro.

2. Do your friends / family think so?

Yes. What's strangest about is that at work my peers think so.

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?

No.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?

No.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?

I have no idea, not knowing what those stereotypes might be.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?

I do not think so.My wife does. She claims that she can spot an IT person on the street from far away. Also, an elderly chap whom I had seen from time to time in the tram but otherwise quite unknown to me asked me recently what my profession was. He had guessed I was an IT person.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?

Among my peers, yes.

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?

Not at all.

[CaptainCabinet]

Do you think you are a "geek"?
Do your friends / family think so?
Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?


1) Yes I do.
2) Yes they do.
3) No, as my tech skills are pretty limited. :)
4) I'm pretty sure I'm the only one.
5) I do. Though it's taking a while.
6) I think it is yes. They look similar to me. :)
7) No. It just mean you want to use your computer instead of being used by it. And you enjoy the freedoms of using Linux.
8 ) My friends most likely don't know what Linux is and I'm the only one in my family interested. :)

[Pethegreat]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
No. I am a nerd, a person in pusuit of knowledge.

2. Do your friends / family think so?
Yes. My family is not very computer savvy. Opening the case of a computer is amazing to them.

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Yes, it is getting annoying to have to fix a computer you never touch.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
I am in the minority. In my school i have only found 2 other people with an intrest in computers.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Yes. More and more people are becomming more knowledgable in the use of technology. There are plenty of normal looking people who are tech-savvy.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
No. i stated the reason in the answear to #5.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Many people still think that you must be an extremly smart person with computers in order to install Linux. To other people, using linux makes you geekier, but it does not affect me.


8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
No.

[FuturePilot]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Yes
2. Do your friends / family think so?
Yes
3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Yes
4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
In a way yes
5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Kind of. It's not so weird to be classified a geek anymore
6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
No.
7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
A little
8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?

Absolutely.

[The Titan]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Yes

2. Do your friends / family think so?
Yes

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
I live in a very small town, im the TOWN repair person.

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Friends?

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
No.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
No

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Yes, the fact that most people haven't heard of it makes it "geeky"

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
They don't know what it is... I'm the only one...

[runningwithscissors]

Do you think you are a "geek"?
no.

Do your friends / family think so?family doesn't. I have no friends.

Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?no.

In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?No friends.

Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?Doesn't seem like it.

Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?Yes.

If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?no.

Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?no.

[Mazza558]

no.
family doesn't. I have no friends.
no.
No friends.
Doesn't seem like it.
Yes.
no.
no.

Ouch :???:

[runningwithscissors]

Ouch :???:Why the ouch?

[Zayne]

-- 1. Do you think you are a "geek"?

If I read the given definitions correctly, then certainly. And quite happy to be. In several categories, too!

Computers: I'm pretty much the only one in my 'circle' who knows anything about them.
Anime: I wouldn't say i'm obsessed, but i'm passionate.
Books: What is life without literature!?
Music: Again, a staple of life. Almost any genre.
Roleplay: I've been doing storyline structured RP online for ten years now.

..So, geek? What do you think?


-- 2. Do your friends / family think so?

Y'know, they probably do. I just have--- .. Wait. I got called a nerd yesterday for freaking out over special effects. Hahaha. Thus, I guess so! Or at least damn close.

-- 3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?

Oh, yes. I'll work for a red bull and a hamburger. Much cheaper than the average tech shop, i'd say. <.<

-- 4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?

My boyfriend is about the same as me. But he's learned it all from me. I'm a bad/good influence! The rest of my friends/family generally look to me for information on such things.

-- 5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?

Considering the demand these days for technology in all branches, I think it's not so much that people are losing their stereotypes as it's become a given, standard thing instead of a 'quirk'.

-- 6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?

That's not exactly easy to answer. To answer that, first you'd have to answer what in appearance makes one 'geeky'. Do geeks dress differently? Are glasses considered a geek thing? I'm fairly sure sight impairment doesn't discriminate though. If I wear a tee-shirt that has for example, something video game related on it. Does that make me geeky? If someone's rattling away on their palm pilot, or texting on their cellphone, is that geeky or in touch? It's all a matter of perspective and stereotype.

-- 7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?

Maybe, yes. Given the general.. hmm.. how to say. The given opinion. Personally, I don't think so. I simply wanted something -different-. Something to catch my eye, challenge my intelligence. Something new to learn. I am the sort of person who is always open to change, in fact I welcome it with open arms. After being stuck with Windows for so long, unaware at first that I -had- a choice. .. Ah. I ramble. Sorry! Overall, I can't really judge myself nor do I -care- to judge myself.

-- 8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?

I think i've started a shift. I've only been using Linux for five days..and I have already gotten eight people to try it out. Three are sticking to it for certain, the rest are still giving it a trial run. Hahaha. So I guess the answer is yes.

[LaRoza]

Do you think you are a "geek"?
Do your friends / family think so?
Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?


0. Yes
1. Yes
2. Yes, even for people I don't know...
3. I don't have any friends at the moment, unless you can't online contacts
4. I don't now, never paid attention
5. If they don't advertise it, like with an "RTFM" shirt, you can't spot it
6. I find knowledge of Linux does, not the use of Linux
7. Yes, people I know and my family are interested in Linux

[dicecca112]

Do you think you are a "geek"?
Do your friends / family think so?
Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?


Yes
Yes
Yes
No, Minority
No
No
Yes
No

[Dr Small]

1. Do you think you are a "geek"?
Yes, absolutely :)

2. Do your friends / family think so?
Yes, they do.

3. Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Act? I am the computer repairman of my community and family :D

4. In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
None of my friends are geeks or tech savvy.

5. Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
No.

6. Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
Yes.

7. If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Who is a geek that doesn't use *Nix?

8. Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
Umm, not generally. My sister uses it, and my Mom is new to it, but they generally don't like when I get "technical" about it.

[Barrucadu]

Do you think you are a "geek"?
Yes, and have done for years.

Do your friends / family think so?
See above.

Do you act as the "computer repair man/woman" of the family / friendship group?
Yes, unfortunately I have to repair their broken Windows computers...

In terms of friends, do the majority fit the "geek" stereotype, or are you the only one or a minority?
The 'geeks' are the majority, but the Linux users are a minority.

Do you think tech-savvy people are losing their stereotypes?
I don't really know. Ask me in a decade, and I'll tell you the answer.

Do you think it's easy to spot a "geeky" person if you're walking down a street?
Depends on the geek. Most geeks I've met over the internet, upon providing a picture, tend to care little about their appearence - making them relatively easy to spot.

If you answered "yes" to the first or second question, do you think using Linux makes you seem "geekier"?
Of course. It's mysterious and not mainstream. Everyone I know in person, bar one, consider me weird for using it.

Do your friends / family find Linux interesting?
Only one. Everyone else seems to think me using Linux is some sort of teenage 'phase' that I'll grow out of...