Geek Pride

Posted August 31, 2009

I'm definitely a geek.  I've been one since elementary school.  Not sure how it happened, but I blame it partly on the movie "Wargames."  Starting with various computer systems that I had limited access to (TI-99/4A at the local college, Apple II and actual IBM PCs/PCjrs that friends' dads miraculously let me touch) to my first personal computers (Coleco, C64, Amiga) to the geek definitive Casio calculator watch and beyond, I've had geek urges for almost 3 decades now.

Today I was thinking about another aspect of geekdom and I'm wondering if it's common amongst geek-kind or if I'm just weird.  I'm not going to be surprised either way, but it's nice to know.  The aspect I speak of is refusing to have anything to do with something you weren't aware of or got in on the ground floor of.  A prime example for me is World of Warcraft.  It's been on my mind since the Avatar video came out (more on that later).  I've never played.  I've never loaded it up on any machine I've ever owned.  I've never even seen it on a friend's PC.  Yes, I know it exists and I'm subjected to some geek's blatherings about it almost daily.  I'm sure it's fantastic, but I'll have nothing to do with it simply because it was out too long before I had an opportunity to experience it.  I was busy building and running a business when it came out and for the following years in which it became popular amongst my fellow geeks.  By the time I could have gotten into it, my geek pride wouldn't let me.  Instead, I shrug it off in conversation and redirect my interests elsewhere.  Luckily I found LOTRO before it went public beta and got in before the masses.  I was geek cool, a nerdy pioneer.  I dig that.  While I no longer play, I still get to say (to most), I was there first.  I guess that's the pinnacle of geek accomplishments.  Experiencing something cool before those without Extra Geek Perception [EGP] is a rush.  I do get a kick out of hearing someone talking about something "new" and knowing about it already.

As you can see, this blog looks relatively new (even though there are some older posts that I've imported here and there -- tons more to come).  For years I thought about doing this and even tried a few times without letting anyone know it existed.  I felt mildly ashamed to jump in so late in the game but again I was busy with other things in my life and have a hard time half-assing things.  I'm not sure what changed this time, but it feels good.  I still don't think I do this avenue justice (yet), but I'm hoping it'll become second nature soon enough.

There are other things that are just too cool to ignore or shy away from, regardless of how late to the game you might be.  This includes The Guild.  Holy crap, I don't know how I missed this but as soon as I got a hold of the Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? video, I was hooked.  HOOKED.  I love it.  I love Felicia Day -- she's cute, she's hot, she's geek quirky.  Even my wife agrees, which rocks.  Yep, I came in very late to this, but I'm just happy to know about it.  It's odd how some things are like that and some are not.  Haven't quite figured out the pattern yet...  (And yes, I get the irony of this considering the MMORPG they're playing.)

Is this common with you other geeks out there?  Tell me what you think and please share your own geek pride moments!