Geek etymology: five tech words explained

Geek: Originally the term referred to a carnival performer who would bite the head of animals, most commonly a chicken. It comes from “geck”, an old British term for “fool” which stems from a German word of the same spelling; another derivative is the Dutch “gek” (a crazy person). The most likely explanation for its modern usage comes from the idea that somebody who bit off animal heads in a carnival probably wasn’t at the center of mainstream society.

(I must add that I particularly like the New Hacker’s Dictionary comment that geeks are “people who did not go to their high school proms, and many would be offended by the suggestion that they should have even wanted to.”)

Mouse: The term was first used in print in 1965 and stems from the Stanford Research Institute. The likely origin is that early models had the cord running from the back rather than the front, in a similar position to a rodent’s tail. It seems it took some time for this to be accepted as the standard term, with a 1970 patent using the less memorable “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System”.

Spam: It appears that originally the term didn’t refer to e-mail messages specifically, but rather unwanted electronic communication in general. The exact date isn’t confirmed, but at some point in the late 1980s, less sociable members of Multi-User Dungeons (MUD) (imagine a text-only version of Second Life) would repeatedly type the word SPAM to make sure other users’ comments disappeared from the screen.

Of course, the reason that word was chosen is almost certainly a result of this 1970 sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus:

Blog: The term web log appears to have been coined by Jorn Barger of the Robot Wisdom site in 1997 to refer to a list of links. The contracted form appears to have been created by Peter Merholz of peterme.com two years later, as shown midway down the left-hand column on this archived page.

An important linguistic note to remember is that if you ever want to *really* annoy a blogger, refer to an individual post as “a blog”.

Computer bug: this is one where the most-cited explanation is a myth. In 1946, Grace Hopper, who later created the COBOL programming language, is said to have come up with the term ‘bug’ after a moth became trapped in an in-development computer and caused problems. In fact the term was already well-established and even referred to in the project log-book:

When and how the term actually originated isn’t clear, but Thomas Edison referred to “Bugs” being a known term for hardware problems in an 1878 letter. Excerpt:

It has been just so in all of my inventions. The first step is an intuition, and comes with a burst, then difficulties arise — this thing gives out and [it is] then that ‘Bugs’ — as such little faults and difficulties are called — show themselves and months of intense watching, study and labor are requisite before commercial success or failure is certainly reached.

Ask [GaS]: What Does “Geek” Mean to You?

On Wednesday, I am headed out to Boston for PAX East. One of the panels I’m speaking on is with my husband and Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks (a must read for geeks of the fantasy/gaming contingent… as if you couldn’t deduce that from the title alone). Our panel is about geekdom in general and how the term “geek” has changed over the last few decade; it’s called “Geek is no longer a four-letter word” (3pm, Wyvern Theater, on Sunday).

So you can imagine that I’ve been thinking a great deal about what the term “geek” means to me, and how it’s defined my own existence. I never would have anticipated that being a self identified geek would have landed me so many writing gigs. In fact, my whole blogging “career” is successful because I’m a geek (the blogs I most often write for, in fact, both have the word geek in their titles).

Personally, I didn’t realize I was much of a geek — at least I didn’t put that word to it — until college. The Internet put me in contact with geeks all over the world, and as such I became part of the geek movement itself. Now, I proudly call myself a geek even if my mother hates it when I do!

But that’s part of it, isn’t it? The term itself has a very different meaning to us now. For my mother’s generation, a geek is someone antisocial, somewhat awkward, and probably unattractive! All things that don’t necessarily apply any longer.

So I’m appealing to you, readers. What do you think defines you as a geek? Do you still struggle against negative perceptions of the term? Do you think there is a lessening of geekdom itself as it becomes mainstream? Do you think it’s easier to be a geek than it used to be? Any other observations about geekery in general? What’s the geek perception like in your country? Now’s the time to sound off!

I promise to give credit to replies, of course, but I thought it might be a good idea to take a pulse of current thoughts on the subject before I start espousing my own thoughts!

And if you happen to be attending PAX East, come by and say hi!

[Picture source: Flickr (CC)]

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GameCrush: Want to Play Halo with a REAL GIRL? Pay Up.

Launching today, GameCrush.com must think it’s sewn up the market for desperately lonely gaming geeks. Of course, how big a market that is is yet to be seen. Just imagine the marketing brainstorming session that could have taken place over a few dozen beers:

Entrepreneur #1: Man, I wish there were more hot girls playing on Xbox live.
Entrepreneur #2: I would totally pay to play Halo with a hot girl.
Entrepreneur #1: Would you? How much?
Entrepreneur #2: I dunno, $8 for 10 minutes?

At least, I’m assuming that’s kind of how it went.

Touting itself as the first social site for gamers, GameCrush connects “Players” (men) with “PlayDates” (women). IGN got a preview of how the site works, so here’s the rundown if you’re a paying customer: (1) Browse girls’ profiles (there are about 1200 at launch), view photos, and maybe chat for free; (2) Purchase credits – $8.25 for 500; (3) Send a girl an invite; and if she accepts (4) Play a game with her, complete with video chat (unless the game is Xbox live, since it’s not integrated – you’ll just have to find her gamertag). Ten minutes later, you’re $8 poorer but hopefully you’ve gotten something out of it?

Apparently they’re modeling their pricing after the idea of buying a girl a drink in a bar – after all, they say, you’re really just paying her for the opportunity to chat her up, right? So why not skip the bar altogether and do the same thing while playing Halo or Battleship?

The girls, meanwhile, are getting paid 60% of what they bring in, which in theory could be something like $20/hour to play games and chat with guys. And if you’re thinking this sounds kind of like an adult hotline… the girls can set their profiles to “flirty” or “dirty” and so whereas I’m sure that there are plenty of girls who just think it’s cool to get paid for playing games, well… nearly a dollar a minute is kind of pricey for the chance to play Halo with a girl’s voice on the line without the, uh, flirtiness.

The IGN reviewer says it seems like a sound business model, noting that “I have no doubt there are many gamers out there who would be willing to pay a little cash to play and flirt with hot girls.” Really? I can’t be the only one that finds this vaguely creepy. It might be slightly less creepy on a business model that’s ad-based rather than paying – but come on, considering how long you can sit in front of your Xbox playing Halo, are you really going to drop $50 for an hour of having a cute voice in your ear? And do you really want her talking dirty while you’re shooting people in the head?

So. Who’s planning on signing up for this? If someone tries it out, please let us know how it goes. And if you’re a gamer girl – would you play with guys for cash?

Nintendo adds a new dimension to the DS

If you thought the DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL was as far as Nintendo could get to customizing its DS handheld console, think again. The company is planning a new edition with a particularly functional title: the Nintendo 3DS.

The good news is that the console won’t require the user to wear special glasses. Exactly how it will work hasn’t been detailed, though a previous demo on the DSi shows the device being turned at a 90 degree angle:

While the first response would be to assume the system is somehow using the two screens to produce the two images which make up a 3D picture, that doesn’t appear to be the case: cover up one side of the clip and you’ll see the effect still works.

The explanation instead appears to involve the DSi’s built-in cameras. The principle seems to be a simple reversal of the current set-up: if the cameras can tell where you are in relation to the screen, they can also work out the comparative position of the (imaginary) objects on the other side of the screen: that is to say, in the game world you are peering into. It appears the 3D effect only happens when you tilt the console, unlike a traditional 3D movie where the screen and your viewing position stay still.

The company isn’t giving any further details such as pricing or release date, though it’s unlikely to be imminent given that the DSi XL has just gone on sale as the premium product in the range and shouldn’t be overshadowed too quickly. The most information Nintendo has released is that it will be on sale in the company’s next financial year (April 2010 to March 2011). The console itself will be demonstrated in some form at the E3 trade show in June.

It’s not known yet if all games will be designed to be played with the screens in portrait mode. If so, the console will likely be redesigned to place the controls more conveniently.

Of course, there’s no guarantee the twin screen design will be used for the 3DS: a single large screen might be more appropriate for such a visually impressive set-up. But that seems unlikely given Nintendo has said the device will be backwards-compatible.

Ten Films for Geek Initiation

Have you ever considered trying to get your friends and family into the films that you love? It may seem like a daunting task, but the truth is, there are many possibilities for geeky initiation in the film world. I’d like to think that even though everyone might not identify themselves as geeks, everyone has the potential. It’s all just a matter of playing to their likes and dislikes, and slowly exposing them to films they might not choose on their own.

So if you’re game, here are 10 geeky films great for the less-than-geeky contingent. I think these are ideal for initiation without being too overt. Remember, the aim isn’t a hard sell, but a soft sell.

Tron Movie PosterTron: In 1982, Tron took the world by storm. Up until that time, no film had gone so far out of the bounds of design. Sure, these days “Tron Guy” is a bit of a joke in geeky circles, but at the time, Tron was really head and shoulders above anything, and took science fiction in film to another level. I think Tron is particularly suited for people interested in the way film changed in the 1980s, as well as anyone interested in racing, or gaming. Remember, not all gamers are geeks. Another plus is that Tron includes a very familiar face: this years’ best actor Oscar winner Jeff Bridges. Great for: film students, gamers, racing fans

The Lost Boys: Before Twilight (I find it important to remind myself every now and again that there was life before Stephanie Meyer) the hottest teen vampires were of course, Kiefer Sutherland and his sexy crew in this 1987 film. Dark, gritty, and occasionally rather funny, The Lost Boys also includes a geeky twosome of vampire slayers: the Frog brothers. It’s a great film for those immersed in vampire mania, while being a fantastic segue into something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Whedonverse. Great for: Twihards

The Frighteners: Since paranormal is “in” and Peter Jackson is one of the reigning gods of geek cinema, I figure this is a perfect initiation film. Not to mention, it includes Michael J. Fox — the film is, in fact, his last leading role. Basically, he talks to dead people and exploits what they know to make money–but the stakes get raised when a mass murderer escapes from hell and is on the loose. Aside from a neat story line, the film also has just enough humor and some impressive (for their time, anyway) special effects. Great for: people into shows like Medium, and The Ghost Whisperer.

Flatliners: This was always the film I used when playing the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, because it’s chock full of so many actors, it’s kind of nuts. Sure, it’s a Joel Schumacher film (as is The Lost Boys… and we’ll give him that, though we never can forgive him for the whole Batman thing), but it also includes Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, and William Baldwin. Basically, it’s about a bunch of medical students pushing the bounds of life and death. It’s cool, science-based (however loosely) speculative film. Great for: anyone with a thing for Ms. Roberts, or fans of 24.

Gattaca Movie PosterGattaca: Once again, this film is a good choice because of familiar actors: Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. The premise of the film is, according to Wikipedia anyway, “biopunk” — essentially everyone in society, is ordered by their DNA. Those inferior, or with genetic shortcomings, suffer discrimination and prejudice. It’s a near dystopian vision and centers around Hawke’s character Vincent, who was conceived naturally and suffers many of the shortcomings we “normal” people are familiar with, including a bum heart. I think this film works particularly well for people of the CSI/medical drama slant, because there’s definitely elements of both in this film. But the dystopian vision makes it purely geeky and wonderfully speculative. Great for: socially conscious people, science-minded people, philosopher types, and those interested in medicine.

District 9: There is certainly something to be said about films that use familiar and realistic landscapes. Aside from Avatar, many geeky films just go over the top with their otherworldliness and often alienate their non-geeky audience, or just become laughable. District 9 does away with that, in a way, with a documentary approach to filmmaking. The film speaks to themes of segregation, racism, and apartheid, while never really leaving Earth. Great for: those who like documentaries, those who prefer “reality” shows.

The Princess Bride: You can’t beat funny, really. Even though The Princess Bride plays to 100 fantasy tropes, not to mention themes of romance as well, the humor transcends geekery altogether.  It’s also a film that branches out in many ways. What do I mean? Well first, there’s the famous cast: from Billy Crystal to Christopher Guest to Cary Elwes and Robin Wright, chances are even the least geeky person will recognize these faces. Christopher Guest is a great gateway to films like This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and Waiting for Guffman. Cary Elwes was in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, which is a great introduction to Mel Brooks. See? Everything’s connected. Great for: those who like love stories and humor.

The Dark Crystal: A great selection for the younger set, and anyone with a vague interest in fantasy worlds. Because this isn’t an epic trilogy, the learning curve’s pretty low. It’s a beautiful film, and ideal for those familiar with puppets/Muppets. In my opinion, one of the most remarkable things ever accomplished by the Henson Company (up there with Labyrinth, but without the David Bowie difficulty… not that I have problems with it, but I could see how other people might). Great for: artist-types, fantasy literature beginners, kids.

From Hell: Two important things about this movie: it stars Johnny Depp (who is in everything these days) and it’s based on a comic book by Alan Moore. It’s also a bit of a slasher film, considering it’s about one of the first high-profile slashers: Jack the Ripper. If you’re hoping to share something geeky with a friend or family member with an affinity for history (or horror films) and period pieces, this might just do the trick. Sure, it isn’t the highest cinema, but it’s a great springboard considering the cast and writing team (Bonus: Ian Holm, i.e. Bilbo Baggins!). Great for: people obsessed with Johnny Depp, those who like costume dramas, history buffs.

Hellboy: This may seem like a big geek immersion at first, but there is reasoning behind it. First, I’ve always loved the Hellboy films for their portrayal of the real world. It definitely feels like something that could happen (very much the way the Indiana Jones films did, too). Secondly, the mythological elements are wonderfully done, and interwoven with history in a very intriguing way. Hellboy is an anti-hero, too, which sets the film apart from many other geek films. With hints of steampunk, alternate history, and plain good storytelling, I think its appeal is broad indeed. Not to mention, it’s also based on a comic series by Mike Mignola. The film is also directed by Guillermo del Toro, who’s something of a geek hero himself, with film credits to his name including Pan’s Labyrinth and the upcoming Hobbit films. Great for: fans of mythology, history, and explosions.

Sure, there’s a ton that I left out; the more I add, the more I realize I’ve missed. I clearly have a bias for 80s films, too. But all that aside: what are some great geek initiation films you’ve recommended to your non-geeky friends?

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