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"I Confess."

Gaming: The sport of people who aren't good at real sports, the refuge of the social outcast.

The main consumer of these games, who are serious about computer games, can be classified as a geek, a nerd, a computer boffin. Say what you will, it all means the same thing. A nerd, or geek is a derogatory term used to generally insult people who enjoy those things electrical in life. I openly confess, to all of you here, that I can be classified as a geek.

I am interested in how much ram you have in your computer, I take pleasure in knowing what the clocked speed the three major next gen consoles have. I took a survey to see how many times out of 20 blocks, a four-line block was achieved in tetris, when a tetris combination is achievable, (game lovers will inderstand my fear that tetris is against me.) Nevertheless, though I am proud of this knowledge, I only tell it to you here, because you will have no impact on my life (probably), and a lot of you here will also be classified as "geeks". But why? What is the publics obsession, with not paying attention to the fasted growing games market and dismissing it as a bad and nerdy thing, when buying tickets to all of enrique englasias' england tour dates, is perfectly acceptable?

Again, I torticollis, will attempt to solve this perplexing oddity of public stereotyping and try to explain, why we nerds, don't really mind, and happily walk around the streets wearing a see through t-shirt, with our best magic cards displayed for all to gaze at in wonder, this time in two harder to swallow tablets.

1. The obsession: You will often during the world cup season, find grown men crying. Why? Because "their" team have lost, failed, so, they go punch some people who look mildly brazillian. A grown man, the age old symbol of maturity and knowledge, resorting to childish behaviour and punching people or/and crying about a game. In England, this is taken as standard, nothing surprising. A man is not questioned for his sanity when he tells his nextdoor neighbour that "his" team is playing his "neighbour's" team in ten years time two months on, five days, 3 hours and 20 minutes and about 5 seconds. This is bordering on birdwatching here. Such a level of obsession, and it is considered standard. Now a gamer who buys a game every month, and just knows that (n) is released in (n) time, is considered a geek. Not a casual fan of football, a loser. Someone who shouldn't be hung around with except within the geek circle of comradeship. I've seen girls frown upon boys reading gaming magasines, but never over boys reading "match of the day magasine" so I know this is true, at least in capital England area. I see boys looking shiftily around before running into "game" stores and running out after purchasing a game, hiding it from the public's skeptical glare. So we know that gamers aren't respected for what they are good at (gaming, as opposed to footballers being praised for being good at football.)
But why do gamers or "nerds" generally not give a flying bird and bear about this view on their "kind"? Why do nerds continually express their nerdiness without fear? Why is bulbasaur the 1st pokemon? I mean, charmander obviousy beats its veggy ar*e into the ground.

2. The shameless obsession: The answer isnt that hard to see, but I don't think that I am neccessarily stating the obvious, because many people haven't thought about this before (unless if they are geeks). Nerds are so used to being excluded, or frowned upon, that they don't care about what the mainstream thinks, not in an underground way, but in an almost denial way. Nerds will eventually think that the mainstream thinks wrong, and maybe even look down upon the mainstream for ignoring games, and nerd sports (i.e dungeons and dragons, magic cards, warhammer). Also, though nerds have been outcast from one popular community, they have simply founded their own, and thats all they need in terms of computing and the suchlike knowledge. The invention of internet forums, being one of these. One can re-invent their personality, or be themselves without fear of exclusion from a forum like the SR ones, themselves, a haven for nerds and those who are in denial about being nerds. The fact that they ignore what people think, is not neccessarily good, but it keeps the nerd community going, and keeps the eternal bulbasaur vs charmander question going. And in the end, If we are all part of the community and enjoying themselves (whilst staying within legal perameters) then its just wholesome communicationaly fun.

Heres to the internet forum.

Torticollis.

if you quoted it properly (I hate it when people dont quote properly on here) I said.....

"Not all are, but I find that a lot of them are quite intellectual so when they say a sentence, they dont speak (what I would call) normal.... they use "LONG" words"

Arwen Undomiel wrote:
> they use "LONG" words

Well, that disqualifies the VAST majority of the gaming community.

I use long words, but only because I know what most of them mean, and I like a varied vocabulary. There is nothing better than having a conversation with someone who can use a rich level of full english.

OK, Well I am one of these people who stereotype other people. I may not class a "Geek" or a "nerd" as someone who plays on the computer a lot of the time. When I say someone is a geek it's because they "look" like one. Although (and I have no idea why) a lot of these people who I class as geeks do play the pc/consoles a lot (not all of them I will add).

I define a geek physically as someone who (and they will have all these characteristics, not just a few):

* Doesn't really take much pride in the way they look: hair, complextion etc.

* Have really bad dress sense: I find a lot of (what I call) "geeks" dont wear designer clothes or if they do, they wear them totally wrong or buy things that just dont suit them.

* Wear t-shirts with weird slogans/pictures on them or t-shirts advertising PC/Console games etc etc (personally plain or slightly patterned t-shirts/shirts as soooo much better)

* strangely have loads of spots (????? this has always confused me why they have them)

* They are usually shy towards people they dont know

* They usually speak really fast

* Not all are, but I find that a lot of them are quite intellectual so when they say a sentence, they dont speak (what I would call) normal.... they use "LONG" words, which, when you are young and trying to make impressions on people, just doesn't work and people will laugh at you.

And lastly (I think)

* They are quite boring

So.... this is what I class as a geek. I dont use the work nerd, and I dont think I ever have. I think all people class geeks/nerds as something/someone different to their own defenition. But no-one will ever change my description of a nerd. And I will say again... for me to stereotype a geek, they will have all or the majority of the above characteristics.

Nerd:

A foolish, inept, or unattractive person.
A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

Geek:

A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept

So, the only difference between geeks and nerds is that geeks are more attractive than nerds.

But if you are being nerdy about being a snob, isn't it like being snobby about being a nerd? What's the difference between a nerd and a geek as well? Is one worse than the other? What about creeps? Are they an offshoot of a geek or a non-geek?

It's all geek to me...

I agree. We shouldn't be snobby about being a nerd, but we shouldn't be unhappy about being one either, as Torti said, We live in a whole different community.

reply properly.

Oh shuddup.

There we go. Dont judge a book cover before you watch the film of the novelisaton of the film of the book.

torticollis wrote:
> But you should also keep in mind that being proud of being a nerd
> sometimes also contains snobbery, so watch out for that, in other
> words, actually read the thread before posting.

Didn't fully read the post I was just agreeing with Azul 2002