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Being a geek / hacker at heart is not about using the latest whizbang gadget. It is also not about using the newest medium of communication or hanging out in th

by chime 16y ago

Being a geek / hacker at heart is not about using the latest whizbang gadget. It is also not about using the newest medium of communication or hanging out in the places tech journalists write about in exquisite detail. It is about mastering one field and using the experience gained from it to jumpstart into the next one. The problem is that it is often impossible to tell what will be the new thing of today that we will fondly look back on tomorrow. Some may say today it is Twitter streams or Facebook walls or they may say it is the startup culture like we have here on HN but nobody knows. It could be something as benign as upvoting only thoughtful comments here on HN instead of funny ones like on reddit/fark/digg that could bring about a long-lasting effect on the future of open discussion on the Internet. We could be the guys that beat Eternal September while sharing our code and ideas with others. We don't have to phreak or use IRC to be considered true geeks. We could use the same tools as our moms (I'm using an iPad right now, I got one for my mom too) and still be doing very different things. She plays Farmville while I'm trying to create apps that help the disabled. The fact that our tools have matured to the level of flexibility and stability that both hackers and their moms can use them is something to be proud of, no despair. After all, I use the same faucets as my mom and the same washing machines. 60 years ago the geeks made their own electronic devices. Oh and we still do that too. Check out the Arduino forums.

adrianwaj 16y ago
So Alpha geeks are failing fast and failing cheap (or failing expensive on somebody else's dime) whilst making stepping stones across the pond for others to follow (or see)?
- pendragon 16y ago
  I don't think the Alpha geeks are failing. I do think that computer literacy has increased as younger generations have grown up with technology and also, because a lot of smart alpha geeks have improved the usability of the technology (two forces meeting so to speak). It is a little bit like the motorists of old - they were first really weird, then being good was largely regarded as being ultra cool as others battled with the new cars, then they were sponsored in races and now they still exist. They exist as kitset car builders, engineers, racers, and oh dear... boy racers. The alpha geeks may not use the latest technology (some Linux users manage to keep their machines going with their skills) but hasn't it always been the skills and knowledge of the geek? If that's the case, I think we are doing very well. The improvement in usability of the internet and easy availability of knowledge means the barrier to entry is lower which means more geeks. On the other side of the spectrum it also means more non-geeks know how to fix their computers etc. Rather like cars. However, being able to replace a battery doesn't make you a car enthusiast, nor does being a savvy Facebook user mean you could build it.
SomeCallMeTim 16y ago
>It could be something as benign as upvoting only thoughtful comments here on HN instead of funny ones like on reddit/fark/digg that could bring about a long-lasting effect on the future of open discussion on the Internet. I don't know; the highest voted comment I've had on Hacker News was one that was funny. By an order of magnitude. What's wrong with humor, anyway? On reddit, it's easy enough to close an entire thread you don't find interesting to see what else was voted up.

by chime 16y ago

adrianwaj 16y ago

So Alpha geeks are failing fast and failing cheap (or failing expensive on somebody else's dime) whilst making stepping stones across the pond for others to follow (or see)?

pendragon 16y ago
I don't think the Alpha geeks are failing. I do think that computer literacy has increased as younger generations have grown up with technology and also, because a lot of smart alpha geeks have improved the usability of the technology (two forces meeting so to speak). It is a little bit like the motorists of old - they were first really weird, then being good was largely regarded as being ultra cool as others battled with the new cars, then they were sponsored in races and now they still exist. They exist as kitset car builders, engineers, racers, and oh dear... boy racers. The alpha geeks may not use the latest technology (some Linux users manage to keep their machines going with their skills) but hasn't it always been the skills and knowledge of the geek? If that's the case, I think we are doing very well. The improvement in usability of the internet and easy availability of knowledge means the barrier to entry is lower which means more geeks. On the other side of the spectrum it also means more non-geeks know how to fix their computers etc. Rather like cars. However, being able to replace a battery doesn't make you a car enthusiast, nor does being a savvy Facebook user mean you could build it.

SomeCallMeTim 16y ago

>It could be something as benign as upvoting only thoughtful comments here on HN instead of funny ones like on reddit/fark/digg that could bring about a long-lasting effect on the future of open discussion on the Internet. I don't know; the highest voted comment I've had on Hacker News was one that was funny. By an order of magnitude. What's wrong with humor, anyway? On reddit, it's easy enough to close an entire thread you don't find interesting to see what else was voted up.