[nycbug-talk] technical terms

[Isaac Levy]

Hi all,

On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 13:37:53 -0400, Scott Robbins <scottro at nyc.rr.com> wrote:

> > Also, I'm compiling a list of negative geek terms. So far I have "flame
> > war", "troll" and "RTFM". Anyone think of any others?
> 
> There is stfu.  (Which led a very funny exchange on irc, when someone
> asked what it meant, someone answered, and the original questioner
> became offended.  (For those who don't know, it stands for shut the f**k
> up)
> 
> STFW, search the f***ing web.  1Us3r (I think, I'm too old to get those
> right, means loser and a similar one for lamer, something like 14m3r).
> 
> Just to name a few.
> 
> - --
> 
> Scott

I'd actually suggest that the base term 'geek' or 'nerd' is the start
of the negativity, (news for nerds...)
I'm around a lot of musicialns and artists in my regular life, and if
any of them spend the same obsessive amount of time in studio
painting, or making music, then they are viewed as creative- whereas
if I spend that time hacking unix, I'm called a geek.

In the english language, the word geek has a lot of negative baggage...

geek:

1.
    a. A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
    b. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or
technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

2.
    A carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as
biting the head off a live chicken.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=geek


I somewhat feel that our culture brings a lot more negative vocabulary
in by starting with this vocabulary.

I'm way more fond of the term 'hacker' than I am geek:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/H/hacker.html
...
2) One who programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who  enjoys
programming rather than just theorizing about programming.


How do we view ourselves?  NYCBUG is regularly populated with folks
I'd hardly call socially inept or foolish, and no speaker has yet to
bit the head off of a live chicken...

my 02?

Rocket-
.ike