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The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 12-12-2003, 05:44 PM

The Grauniad strikes again, with another article about nothing. I'm amazed at the lack of spelling mistakes: they must have employed some actual proof-readers recently. Perhaps next they'll start employing journalists; or is that too much to hope for?

(EDIT)
I can see the basic premise here: that interests and ideas that were once considered the preserve of the unwashed, the dysfunctional and the socially inept have recently made their way into the main stream. This is, of course, absolute rubbish: the term 'geek' was invented by morons to describe people who had interests outside the often bizarre norms of the classroom. As such it has always encompassed a massive swathe of the population: doctors, lawyers, scientists, authors, engineers and architects; film directors, artists, composers and even fashion designers. The geeks have inherited the earth because they were and are the people who make it run properly and try to give it meaning. Of course the article's writer finds a lot of himself in the geek: he is one. He writes for a living and wears glasses. There are a lot of other definitions too, but those are at least two of them. If you like real ale, take an interest in languages, study academic subjects in your spare time, write poetry or like word games you're a geek as well. In fact, one might simply take it as a catch-all term for anyone who lives any sort of inner life at all.

It might be more valuable to consider how adopting playground slang into adult language leads to the rise of derogatory terms so vague and nebulous that they could refer to anyone. Or we could simply say that the eighties were the decade of the sharp, the greedy and the predatorial; but the beginning of the third millenium is witnessing the rise of the modelmakers, the internet communities, the roleplayers, the amateur scientists and the fantasy and science fiction fans. We were always greater in numbers, but now we've become fashionable as well. Could this decade mark the dawn of the era of geek chic?

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 8:45 AM December 13, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

12-12-2003, 05:44 PM	#8
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,177	The Grauniad strikes again, with another article about nothing. I'm amazed at the lack of spelling mistakes: they must have employed some actual proof-readers recently. Perhaps next they'll start employing journalists; or is that too much to hope for? (EDIT) I can see the basic premise here: that interests and ideas that were once considered the preserve of the unwashed, the dysfunctional and the socially inept have recently made their way into the main stream. This is, of course, absolute rubbish: the term 'geek' was invented by morons to describe people who had interests outside the often bizarre norms of the classroom. As such it has always encompassed a massive swathe of the population: doctors, lawyers, scientists, authors, engineers and architects; film directors, artists, composers and even fashion designers. The geeks have inherited the earth because they were and are the people who make it run properly and try to give it meaning. Of course the article's writer finds a lot of himself in the geek: he is one. He writes for a living and wears glasses. There are a lot of other definitions too, but those are at least two of them. If you like real ale, take an interest in languages, study academic subjects in your spare time, write poetry or like word games you're a geek as well. In fact, one might simply take it as a catch-all term for anyone who lives any sort of inner life at all. It might be more valuable to consider how adopting playground slang into adult language leads to the rise of derogatory terms so vague and nebulous that they could refer to anyone. Or we could simply say that the eighties were the decade of the sharp, the greedy and the predatorial; but the beginning of the third millenium is witnessing the rise of the modelmakers, the internet communities, the roleplayers, the amateur scientists and the fantasy and science fiction fans. We were always greater in numbers, but now we've become fashionable as well. Could this decade mark the dawn of the era of geek chic? <font size=1 color=339966>[ 8:45 AM December 13, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ] __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?