Found at Tina's blog
The word geek sure has taken on new connotations over the years. I can't imagine a scenario nowadays where unless one is a "dysfunctional geek," that there would be any offence taken if one were to be labelled a geek.
Generally, a geek is smart--that hasn't really changed but "geek" also used to mean that one lacked social skills. Though some geeks may lack social skills there are just so darn many people into techie stuff which pretty much put me into the the "geek" category by default--that there's no real stigma in relating better to some software or to people through a screen as there was when small clusters of geeks hung out together, shunned or mercilessly teased simply because they existed.
Back in high school I knew kids-- boys especially, who wore pocket protectors and too-short pants and hair (it was the late 70's-- short hair was out). If they had skin problems they usually went unchecked, and given that my high school was overrun with backwoods Connecticut kids the handful of smart people were the focus of much derision. (Except as I recall, "Brian" who was smart, cute, and blonde--and went on to an Ivy League school to become a MD).
I'm glad that's changed and former "geeks" are entitled to have the last laugh. It's a good thing IMO, that most geeks have enough company either online or off, so they are no longer cast out.
As for me, I aspire to be more geeky at least in terms of getting more Internet savvy. I'm not nor will I ever be gamer--I've never liked games--even cards--so that ought to keep me out of the hardcore geek groups but I love Science Fiction and Fantasy and I would absolutely go to a Science Fiction based convention (a "Con") but unlike a lot of people I probably wouldn't dress up as my favourite Science fiction/fantasy character. So despite the little icon above I don't think I rank as a "total geek"--I'm more an aspire-to-be geek.
I am taking on building my own webpage. I have some domain names--but I've narrowed it to one...and now I have a host but I don't want to rush in and I need to continue reading and be armed with as much information as I can...I'm sure there'll be moments when I'm feeling like tearing my hair out but I have faith that it'll turn out. I think that's something I've always had--a very steadfast belief that I can do it--whatever "it" is.
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