Gadget Geek?

I might be a Geek. But I'm not exactly a gadget freak. In fact, I'm not really so sure that the two are necessarily related anyway. I tend to think of gadget-freakery as being simply a symptom of common materialism.

Here's how my geekery works out...

I don't own an Ipod. If I did it would be some old 2nd or 3rd generation model running Rockbox or Ipodlinux. When I walk to work, I'd rather not have earbuds in my ears. I prefer to be more aware of my surroundings. I like to say "Hi!" to those few people I recognise on my commute. And of course, I like to think. Now, Ipods are remarkable things, but I need some silent spaces in my life so I haven't succumbed to that temptation yet. Ok. It would be great to have such a handy container for all my MP3 files, but I still don't NEED an Ipod.

Actually, some of my dislike of earbuds may be related to my dislike of sunglasses. I'll wear sunglasses when driving, but not when talking to people. I'd rather have eye-contact. (Actually I do like my sunglasses - merely because they're old 1960s things from the antique market. But I don't wear them much except when driving - which is also when I tend to listen to music most.)

Sat-Nav? It seems like an unneccessary expense. (Yay. Skinflint!) I'm sure they're very good at what they do. I'm sure they save some hassle and embarrassment. But I've always coped with either knowing where I'm going ahead of time -or using a god old fashioned map. Now a GPS unit could be fun - for Geocaching or some other 21st-Century geek sport; but Sat-Nav? When would I ever use it? Actually, I find being lost (as long as I don't have to be anywhere in a hurry) is actually fun - a learning experience.

Mobile. Yeah, I've got one. But I don't use it much. I'm clearly not of the right generation to have a mobile-phone centred social life. And even when I send SMS messages - I obstinately spell & punctuate things 'properly'. It'd be nice to have a more capable device; but as I mentioned; I'd rather not throw too much money at such a luxury.

I do understand the 'play value' of gadgets. And play-value is something I find of extreme interest. But gadgets? Nah... Beyond the minimal setup of a laptop.

But this brings me to a particular question. What *SINGLE* mobile computing device makes most sense? Actually, I do quit like the idea of having something to read internet pages on when I'm out and about. So what should I get? An e-book reader? (I like the e-ink displays and long battery life of such things.) Or an android phone? Or a bigger tablet device. I can't see me affording ALL of these things. So if anyone has any advice on the matter, let me know.

Also, I should mention Kevin Kelly, who has influenced my thinking on these things - or maybe he's codified what I already think. He's undoubtably a geek - having been one of the founders of Wired magazine and a consistent writer on the subject of technology - and yet he's very picky about how he integrates such technology into his life.


So. Geek? Yes! Gadget freak? No.


(Tools are different. I'm fascinated by tools. And instruments - I'm completely fascinated by those too.)

LOGIC GAIT:

How do you spot a geek?

Well, obviously there are all sorts of little cues and clues... But some of them are more than slightly odd, and I wonder where some of these traits come from.

For example. Yesterday, I saw a girl who was 'walking in a geeky manner'. (This is quite unusual, most girls don't walk like that.) It's true. And I know that I do it too. Maybe you do. I don't know how common this trait might be, but I have frequently wondered about it. I habitually tend to walk fast enough that some people struggle (slightly) to keep up. I don't mean that walking fast is an exclusively geeky ability, far from it; but I get the impression it's more common among geeks than in the general population. But I've never seen this idea discussed before and I could be wrong I suppose.

I'd like to point out that it's not a competitive thing. (Most geeks are probably not that competitive.) And on occasion, I've met people who think it IS competitive - which is rather irritating and off-putting.

I walk fast because I have a certain *focus* and a sense of purpose centred on my intended destination. (I don't walk fast if I have no sense of where I'm going or where I should be; although that's actually quite unusual.) Furthermore, it may be that I walk faster because in my formative years I spent less time walking with friends than many people and would often find myself walking on my own. This combination of solitude and purpose is possibly common among geeky types and could easily give rise to "walking in a geeky manner".

And along with this strange long, lunging gait (despite not being very tall) - as a geek, I do have that strange ability to 'spot other geeks'. Sometimes it's a nuance of dress-code, or a pattern of speech, or even an awkwardness in some social situations. But sometimes, it's just how someone walks...

But I wonder what other 'secondary' geeky traits there are of this kind?

Oh, yes. Puns. That'd be one for sure. Apologies to those who thought this was a post about electronic logic-gates. It's NOT.

My Favourite

I know I'm a geek.
How do I know?
I have come to an ever-increasingly-solid understanding of the fact. I'm dead certain.

Yesterday, at work, I revealed another facet of my geekiness. I have a favourite isotope! (This isn't a necessary qualification for geekhood; but I think it seals the deal beyond any reasonable doubt.) So, which one? Carbon 14? Nope! Don't give me any of that Carbon 14 nonsense! Deuterium (Hydrogen 2)? Nope. Not Tritium either (Hydrogen 3). And it's not Uranium 235 or 238. No, no, no. It's Strontium 90.

Why? Hmmm. That's a more difficult question. But here are some supporting reasons...

• It's a radio-isotope. (Did you think I'd want a stable one? - It emits Beta radiation)
• It has a reasonable half-life of around 28 years. Not too long, not too short.
• It's a product of nuclear fission of Uranium - which is kind of funky.
• Chemically, it's a Group II element - similar in behaviour to Calcium.
• And it sounds good, to say out loud. (It would make a half-decent expletive - in some circles, I'm sure!)

And how did they react at work? Strangely, they were impressed. (Not much, but a tiny bit impressed.) I think they must be getting to know me now...

Episode 0 - Making Stuff Up!

An adventure in N+1 episodes.

And so it begins...

A blog.

I intend to explore a variety of geeky subjects - in a not-too-serious manner.

Firstly, let's make some stuff up. I enjoy making stuff up. If someone asks me a question, especially a mundane question, I tend to think for a moment "should I answer truthfully, or would it be more fun to make something up?" That's not to say that I'm *dishonest* exactly; on the contrary - I have a very honest nature and I'm not at all good at lying. But it's all tempered with a bit of playfulness.

Of course, there's also that "Ha-Ha-Only-Serious" (HHOS) trait, common to many geeks and hackers. The borderlands between serious and silly are not well defined; and sometimes it's easier to joke about something I feel strongly about. I suspect that I'll be covering a good number of subjects from pure fantasy to serious opinion - sometimes you might even be able to tell which is which. If you stick around, maybe you'll see what I mean...

By all means subscribe to the RSS-feed, and maybe leave a comment. That'd be lovely.