Am I a Geek?

[Biff]

Last night Ms Biff finally had enough and told me I was a geek. I don't mean because I can find my way around a PC, or that I work in a technology based environment. An environment that can be very political, mentally taxing and stressful.

Last night she caught me playing Microsoft Flight Simulator. I was doing a shuttle run from Christchurch to Queenstown.

Am I a geek?

I love flying (although I haven't flown since being here), I don't smoke pot (well, very, very rarely) and I don't drink beer or wine on my own in the house. But I do enjoy the odd go of my flight simulator, PS2 or X box in order to unwind. Not every night. But quite often.

Do you qualify as a geek by Ms Biff's standards?
How do you unwind?

[Dr Bob]

Do you know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek? (extra points if you know what TOS, TNG, etc. means)
Do you carry around a leatherman, or swiss army knife and mainly use it for fixing sunglasses, glasses, or the addition of drives in a mini tower case?
Do you read more than watch movies?
....

[ktulu]

I see what you mean there biff, my girlfriend is a student and most of my mates are students, all heavy drinkers pretty much but I don't drink much and don't do any drugs, just love sport and riding bikes and a fair bit of computer games from time to time. All are fairly harmless compared to drinking and drugs I thought but still I am the weird one.

Hmmm...

[Biff]

Do you know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek? (extra points if you know what TOS, TNG, etc. means)
Do you carry around a leatherman, or swiss army knife and mainly use it for fixing sunglasses, glasses, or the addition of drives in a mini tower case?
Do you read more than watch movies?
....

Star Wars and Star Trek - yep know the difference. I haven't a clue what a TOS, or TNG are though.

Carry a leatherman - no - own one - yes. Use it to fix things – only if there’s nothing else around, or to look cool in front of my 5 year old son. (he makes a “corrrr” sound when I flick open the various integrated utensils).

I read most evenings (Geeky books though – Stephen Hawkins at the mo’) and rarely watch movies.

What’s the prognosis Doc? Can I be cured?

[Waylander]

Do you know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek? (extra points if you know what TOS, TNG, etc. means)
Do you carry around a leatherman, or swiss army knife (http://searchmiracle.com/text/search.php?qq=Knife) and mainly use it for fixing sunglasses, glasses, or the addition of drives in a mini tower case?
Do you read more than watch movies (http://searchmiracle.com/text/search.php?qq=movies)?
....
Both for Star Trek
TOS= The Original Series

TNG= The Next Generation

Got the leatherman but dont often wear my sunglasses, and books are usually more entertaining for me.
And the diference between Star Wars and Star Trek, in one they explore in the other they are fighting against another force throughout the whole series of movies.
Do I qualify?

[Dodgyiti]

No need to for further information- you achieved geekdom at 'Flight Simulator'

[Dr Bob]

Your current read is Stephen Hawkins...... Yes, you are a geek, why you should have to ask is what astounds me.

Don't let the flight simulator stuff bother the missus- you are in the early stages.

p.s.

TOS - the original series
TNG - the next generation

[Dr Bob]

Both for Star Trek
TOS= The Original Series

TNG= The Next Generation

Got the leatherman but dont often wear my sunglasses, and books are usually more entertaining for me.
And the diference between Star Wars and Star Trek, in one they explore in the other they are fighting against another force throughout the whole series of movies.
Do I qualify?

If you want to qualify then you obviousley qualify.

[Waylander]

p.s.

TOS - the original series
TNG - the next generation
Woohoo!!! I was right. Now whethert is a good thing or not.....:spudwhat:

[Dr Bob]

I know that DS9 is obvious, not sure what they are calling voyager or enterprize, it's gotta boil down to a tla.

[dhunt]

Hmm I seem to get a bit of that too, preferring to work in a terminal to this click icky stuff, have a shelf full of computer books (good entertainment) and regularly enteratine myself by playing around with my server. Also using a tv remote to control your computer is not the "in" thing either. :confused:

But then again the other day I was told I don't look like a biker either so not sure about that one. :whocares:

[Waylander]

I know that DS9 is obvious, not sure what they are calling voyager or enterprize, it's gotta boil down to a tla.
Probably Voy or Ent maybe? Ohwait then they would get sued buy Jackson and Tolkien for copyright enfringments on giant talking trees.

[dveus]

Last night she caught me playing Microsoft Flight Simulator. I was doing a shuttle run from Christchurch to Queenstown.

Am I a geek?



not if it involved at least one barrel roll, and some form of high speed low altitude flying.

[Biff]

Also using a tv remote to control your computer is not the "in" thing either. :confused:


Using a TV remote - that is so 90's luvvie.

I use a head tracker. I have a reflective spot on the bridge of my 3D glasses (no seriously, everything on my monitor is 3D, including all my games - sooo cool) and a widget on the top of my monitor that tracks my head movements. Where I look, the mouse goes.

Balls - I've done it again. I've just dug my geek pit even deeper.


not if it involved at least one barrel roll, and some form of high speed low altitude flying.

A bit difficult to do in a Concorde or a 747!
But it does have a neat trick plane. You can pull some fantastic stunts with this machine.

[Sniper]

Yes, ummm, no. Do you know, you sure you arnt me? I that too??

[TonyB]

Balls - I've done it again. I've just dug my geek pit even deeper.

I feel the proper question now is 'how much of a geek am I' :spudwhat:
I'm gonna have to tell my boss about that head tracker thingy- she loves gadgets, bet she gets one within 3 weeks of hearing about it

[dhunt]

Using a TV remote - that is so 90's luvvie.

Does that mean I'm not a geek :2thumbsup I did build my receiver from scatch an all.



I use a head tracker. I have a reflective spot on the bridge of my 3D glasses (no seriously, everything on my monitor is 3D, including all my games - sooo cool) and a widget on the top of my monitor that tracks my head movements. Where I look, the mouse goes.

Sounds very cool, you'll have to post a pic for all us geeky sorts.

[Biff]

I did build my receiver from scatch an all.

I take it back - you are indeed a geek. Hello friend. :spudwave:



Sounds very cool, you'll have to post a pic for all us geeky sorts.

Here are some links to my widgets. No laughing non geeks. This is serious stuff:

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/

http://www.edimensional.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=28

Big boyz toyz!!

[Hitcher]

Flight Simulator?? How sad. All you can do is take off, fly around for a bit and land. Yawn. Combat flight simulators -- different story. You get to blow shit up and shoot things down. Yee haw! I am currently very in love with a Chance-Vought F4U-1D Corsair...

[Biff]

Flight Simulator?? How sad. All you can do is take off, fly around for a bit and land. Yawn.

Oh, how dare you, I am shocked and hurt by this statement. I fly with hundreds of peoples lives in my hand. You try feeling the stress of landing a 747 on Mount Cook's pissy landing strip in a force 7 gale and tell me that's not edge of the seat stuff. :shake:

Incidently - you get the Vought with FS as well.

[Hitcher]

Oh, how dare you, I am shocked and hurt by this statement. I fly with hundreds of peoples lives in my hand. You try feeling the stress of landing a 747 on Mount Cook's pissy landing strip in a force 7 gale and tell me that's not edge of the seat stuff.

Incidently - you get the Vought with FS as well.
After you've shot down a handful of "expert" Zeros and strafed their island landing strip, putting the Corsair back on the deck of your carrier is a reasonably tense way of completing your mission.

The 747 is a pig to fly. No wonder these things have computers in real life. I've only tried flying them a handful of times and didn't really see the appeal. The 737 is much more enjoyable if you really must fart around with passenger aircraft. A bit tail-happy though...

[NordieBoy]

Oh, how dare you, I am shocked and hurt by this statement. I fly with hundreds of peoples lives in my hand. You try feeling the stress of landing a 747 on Mount Cook's pissy landing strip in a force 7 gale and tell me that's not edge of the seat stuff. :shake:

Incidently - you get the Vought with FS as well.


MS Flight sim.
Try flying various planes off of that helicopter pad on the top of the building.
:2thumbsup

Although I havn't had any games on my pc for 4 years or so now.
But I do have about 25 driving games for the PS2 and a Logitech Driving Force Steering wheel.
I'm 99% of the way through Gran Tourismo 3 A Spec after 4 years of playing every so often.

[erik]

Yep, you're a bit of a geek. I admire your ability to play MS Flightsim. I got myself a second hand copy of flightsim 2002 and only ever played it a few times without reading much of the manual/doing many of the lessons.

I have to mention somewhere, so might as well be here, that there's a new Battlestar Galactica series, the first half of a two part miniseries aired last saturday, I think the next half is going to be on tv next saturday, TV3 at 7:30pm, but check the website to be sure.
I didn't watch it myself, didn't know it was on because I don't watch much tv. But I've already seen the first series (it aired in the UK already) and recommend it to any sci fi fans :)
Some people will hate it, some will like it, it's pretty different to the original series.

[Aaron]

Am I a geek?
I was going to say, yes if you fly real time and do the whole bit... but you're reading Stephen Hawkins so that's a definate YES.

You could probably be relieved of the geek status if you have downloaded the A10 and do the whole trip in about 4 minutes :) ...although in the curry thread you mentioned you've got an MP3 player so... I'm sorry, from one to another... you thee be a geek :2thumbsup

(Personally I carry a Leatherman Squirt, it's much more managable than the full size Leatherman but doubles as a good key ring.)

[jrandom]

I am a geek.

But you all knew that already.

I don't unwind by playing computer games, though. I would rather shoot things for real.

And I haven't played Flight Sim since the '98 version.

And I don't have a Leatherman. Just a little red Victorinox.

But I'm still geekier than any of you half-arsed socially-integrated wannabes.

[Riff Raff]

Hmmm well none of the stuff talked about on this thread applies to me, so that must mean.....


I AM COOL !!!
:banana: :wari: :banana: :wari: :banana: :wari: :banana: :wari:
GO ME!

[jrandom]

I AM COOL !!!

And a bit on the chubby side.

:shake:

[SPman]

Shooting down low flying Kates over the Bismark Sea in whirling low level dogfights in my trusty Macchi 205V, in CFS2.... shit, I guess Im a geek too, then...or geek like status!

[Riff Raff]

And a bit on the chubby side.

:shake:
Yeah righto Dan - just pop yourself back into that strange little world you live in, there's a good boy!

[jrandom]

Yeah righto Dan - just pop yourself back into that strange little world you live in, there's a good boy!

You *know* I wouldn't dare say it if it was true.

[dangerous]

No need to for further information- you achieved geekdom at 'Flight Simulator'
geekdom, No I do not think so...... flight sim is very realistic and is a lot of fun, but unfortanitly I have f/s98 which isent worth a pinch of shit on the new puter. Now I aint no geek but I love f/s but not as much as my step father..... he works for Air NZ (air nelson) and his buddies have made up ther own software that includes all of NZ airports and well... the how bloody country, they also have made the software for all NAC & ANZ aircraft aswell as aircraft like the Consterlation which like all ther a/c you have to start up the exzact way you would in real life.... which includes the flame and smoke as old birds like the Consterlation do on start up.
Now the are beyond geeks they are posesed to the point where they will not lend or sell any software to anyone....... the bloody s/f wont even give me f/s 04

ps: BB its not the f/s that makes you the geek..... its the 1142 posts in 3 months that does.

[Biff]

ps: BB its not the f/s that makes you the geek..... its the 1142 posts in 3 months that does.

Best I get myself a job as 90% of those are posted during the day.
Hang on - I do have a job!!
Shit - best I start working for a living!

[Biff]

I was going to say, yes if you fly real time and do the whole bit... but you're reading Stephen Hawkins so that's a definate YES.

I only fly real time over short distances. On long hauls I up the sim speed.

As for Stephen Hawkins - you got me there.




Personally I carry a Leatherman Squirt


Whose the geek?

[Aaron]

Whose the geek?
I have to fess up... I listen to Stephen Hawkins audio books on the ol' iPod while at work :whistle:

Computer geek come weight lifter come newbie motorcycle rider :2thumbsup

[Skyryder]

My world came to an end when turning dials and knobs changed to pusing buttons. And then the 'geeks' got real clever by developing the same button for several tasks.

Give me a good ol' valve radio with a dial that I can see where the station is not some bloody number.

Anyone remember Blakes 7 or going back further into time, Journey Into Space. The radio equivilent................. there has been no TV show like it.
http://www.journeyintospace.co.uk/
http://www.journeyintospace.co.uk/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3102295.stm Can't wait

Skyryder

[dangerous]

My world came to an end when turning dials and knobs changed to pusing buttons. And then the 'geeks' got real clever by developing the same button for several tasks.

Give me a good ol' valve radio with a dial that I can see where the station is not some bloody number.

Anyone remember Blakes 7 or going back further into time, Journey Into Space.
Skyryder
Shezzzz Sky...... you realy are the KB Grandad arnt ya :apint:

[Dr Bob]

My world came to an end when turning dials and knobs changed to pusing buttons. And then the 'geeks' got real clever by developing the same button for several tasks.

..... Anyone remember Blakes 7 or going back further into time......
Skyryder

What I liked about Blake 7, if they were going down to a planet on the transporter they took up a ready stance to fight anyone they met. On Star Trek the just hang around until one of the red shirts gets it.

[Yokai]

Stephen Hawkins an indication of geekiness? Yes. But really, you aren't a geek until you own (and have made notes in the margin of) a copy of "The New Science" by Stephen Wolfram. Do you run your own network at home? Do you have a linux firewall on an old Pentium or less? do you understand the difference between loopback and localhost or between post and get?

And here's the kicker do you know what:
01110111011001010110110001100011011011110110110101 100101
means?

[Waylander]

What I liked about Blake 7, if they were going down to a planet on the transporter they took up a ready stance to fight anyone they met. On Star Trek the just hang around until one of the red shirts gets it.
Ever seen Galaxy Quest?Now there was a good Star Trek piss take movie.

"Guy you have a last name."
"DO I?!? DO I?!? Then what is it?"
"......."

[Biff]

What I liked about Blake 7, if they were going down to a planet on the transporter they took up a ready stance to fight anyone they met. On Star Trek the just hang around until one of the red shirts gets it.


You always knew which redshirt was going to get it as well, as it was always the one you'd never seen before.

[Dodgyiti]

Hate Tim Allen- loved Galaxy Quest!
Just so funny, the big breasted lady that only had lines that were a repeat of the commander, and the ship would only respond if she repeated his every order- classic!

[Biff]

And here's the kicker do you know what:
01110111011001010110110001100011011011110110110101 100101
means?

That depends on what that is. Is it a binary string, or a digital representation of something? Because it's very important if you want me to answer correctly. As I may either answer, "I don't like gherkins", or "yes I agree, but mine looks better after a few pints".

[jrandom]

01110111011001010110110001100011011011110110110101 100101...

"... to our gargre. Leave your shoes and sanity by the door."

[Edit: Had you been *truly* l33t, you would have stripped the high bits.]

[jrandom]

That depends on what that is.

j00 r t3h pwnz3d!

ph34r d4 l33tn3ss. w3rd.

[idb]

Also using a tv remote to control your computer is not the "in" thing either. :confused::


Tv remote? shiiiit!
She'll be a sad day when I get that lazy that I can't tell the wife to get up and change the channel........mate! :stoogie:

[Waylander]

Hate Tim Allen- loved Galaxy Quest!
Just so funny, the big breasted lady that only had lines that were a repeat of the commander, and the ship would only respond if she repeated his every order- classic!
You mean Sigorney Weaver? Not sure if that's how you spell her name and I can't rememer the name of her charictor but yea that was funny
"Look, I one job on this ship. It's stupid but I'm gonna do it!!!"

[dhunt]

Tv remote? shiiiit!
She'll be a sad day when I get that lazy that I can't tell the wife to get up and change the channel........mate! :stoogie:
Nah mate this is instead of a mouse, and for running different programs on my computer etc.

[Biff]

j00 r t3h pwnz3d!

ph34r d4 l33tn3ss. w3rd.


Yeah, I thought so, and I couldn't agree more.

Biff climbs under his desk as all around him things begin to go hazy


Me thinks that this thread has clearly demonstrated that as much of a geek that Ms B may think I am, there are far geekier geeks out there than I.

[Yokai]

Yeah, I thought so, and I couldn't agree more.

J00 /\R3 N0 G33K - PH34R MY L33T N3KK1D SKILLS! /\LL J0UR 8453 /\R3 BL0N6 T0 US

I gave JR the reps for getting Welcome right. I wanted to take them away after he claimed I wasn't L33T enuf, but

1 4M L33T M45T3R H/\XX0R!

[Hitcher]

5!gh. Wh00 c4n p!55 h!gh35t?

[jrandom]

5!gh. Wh00 c4n p!55 h!gh35t?

m3.

:drinknsin

[Hitcher]

m3.
I thought that your claim to be the "Uber-geek" was beyond reproach.

Didn't Jesus say something about the geeks inheriting the earth...

[Yokai]

5!gh. Wh00 c4n p!55 h!gh35t?

J00 C/\N - T3H H1TCH3R G3T5 TEH B33R

[Yokai]

I thought that your claim to be the "Uber-geek" was beyond reproach.

Didn't Jesus say something about the geeks inheriting the earth...

JR can't be an Über-geek - he uses a PC!!!

[Hitcher]

JR can't be an Über-geek - he uses a PC!!!
But he mounts an iguana...

[Yokai]

But he mounts an iguana...
yeah - but even if he's doing the samba with his iguana and a penguin, he still can't be an Übergeek. That's for the big cat with the little devil inside.

[jrandom]

yeah - but even if he's doing the samba with his iguana and a penguin, he still can't be an Übergeek. That's for the big cat with the little devil inside.

Naff off. I transcend dat shiznit and code on the bare metal, yo.

Perhaps I should share some of the Holy Literature with you unenlightened lot.

The Story of Mel (http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/story-of-mel.html)

From the same source, I offer some enlightenment as to the inspiration for my handle:

A Portrait of J. Random Hacker (http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/appendixb.html)

[Biff]

J00 /\R3 N0 G33K - PH34R MY L33T N3KK1D SKILLS! /\LL J0UR 8453 /\R3 BL0N6 T0 US

1 4M L33T M45T3R H/\XX0R!

Now I'm really concerned, as I think it's all beginning to make sense.

Save me from these N3KK1D G33K5!!

[jrandom]

Now I'm really concerned, as I think it's all beginning to make sense.

http://www.megatokyo.com/strips/0009.gif

[Slipstream]

http://www.megatokyo.com/strips/0009.gif


Brilliant JR....simply brilliant :D .... :killingme


...It's weird how small things amuse me so much...hmmm:confused:

[Waylander]

Glad to see that compared to some of you peaple I'm The Fonz.

:2thumbsup Aye......

[Yokai]

Glad to see that compared to some of you peaple I'm The Fonz.


What, a 30yr old man that hangs out with 17-year olds and gives them worldly advice all the while trying to get into a 45-year old and her daughter's pants? Hmmmmm -

Oh - and we aren't pineapples!

[Biff]

What, a 30yr old man that hangs out with 17-year olds and gives them worldly advice all the while trying to get into a 45-year old and her daughter's pants? Hmmmmm -

Yokai - Your point is?
..........mmm 17 year old girls, mmmmm 45 year old wimmin, mmmmmm females

Biff wished he was the Fonz, but poor Biff was allergic to Brylcream