Geek.
Nerd.
When I was a kid these things were not good things to be called. I’ve loved that in more recent years this word has taken on a new meaning. Some of us wear it as a badge of honor. I adore Wil Wheaton’s commentary on how awesome it is to be a nerd. For me Nerd and Geek can be used somewhat interchangeably.
“The defining characteristic that ties us all together is that we love things. ” – Wil Wheaton, Calgary Comic Expo, April 2013.
I find myself using this definition for Geek — someone who is passionate about something. It’s interesting, the way that I have found myself gravitating to geeks of a certain type — even if the interests they share are not exactly the same as my own. Perhaps it is because they understand, still, the passion and interest. The way something — a topic, story, interest, culture, characters — can become such an overwhelming interest. They are the people who get it when I go on, and on, and on, about something that most people might just brush aside with a passing comment.
Some types of geekery gets good “play” time. Others not so much. So I thought it would be fun to start an exploration. The second Wednesday of the month will now be given over to Passionate Geeks. I’ll share some of my own geekery’s and I’m lining up guests to share some of their own — and I would like to invite you to share! If you’re interested in writing a guest post about a particular geekdom of yours just let me know — the more contributors the merrier!
Feel free to use #passionategeeks on Twitter to join the conversation as well!
Eclectic Alli 
Great idea! I’m interested to learn what other geeks find passion in! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! I hope you’ll consider also sharing some of your passions!
LikeLike
I’m really looking forward to this feature. I enjoy to learn what others are passionate about and engage in conversation. I really enjoyed the clip – thanks for sharing 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks! I’m really looking forward to what people might write… there’s so much out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed there is 🙂
LikeLike
You can never have too many posts, from all types of fandoms. Great idea! 😀
LikeLike
Thanks! I hope you’ll contribute!
LikeLike
I am a geek about several things and would love to share sometime.
LikeLike
Great!
LikeLike
This makes me think of a conversation I had with my brother today, about how I’m amazed more people don’t geek out (the way I do) over the Hittite texts identifying a king of Bronze Age Troy as being named Alexander (Homer’s preferred name for Paris). Then we talked about that sort of thing probably didn’t usually fall under the “geeking out” categorization.
I have more typical geekery (Doctor Who, JRPGS, anime) but Greek myths are my biggest geeky passion. I can prattle about them just as long and passionately involved as my brother can about comic books.
LikeLike
That is EXACTLY the kind of thing I”m talking about! I’d love if you’d like to write a post about your particular kind of geeking out!
LikeLike
I tend to rattle on endlessly when I get started (most of my April A-to-A posts were 2,000+ words) so you might regret it if I did…but I’ll see what the other posts look like when things get started; maybe I can be contained enough not to frighten everyone else away. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I fully expect these posts to sometimes need some reigning in! That’s what happens when people start talking about their passions!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do think geek and nerd are different, but we are getting into high school-level clique naming devices, and that is probably not a good use of our time 🙂 (The 1990s SNL skit Geek, Dweeb, or Spazz? gameshow comes to mind.)
Quite a few of my friends have geeky leanings, but I do know someone who is pretty hardcore: extensive knowledge of tabletop gaming, old computer games, writes code, and is highly socially awkward. Even Cards Against Humanity he manages to put together biting social commentary. He was homeschooled and I think took college classes at 15. People like that are fascinating because it’s like pure, undilluted geek, and not just “Oh I like the Avengers movies too!” What I don’t like is exclusion in the geek community. “Geek cred” is as pointless as those high school clique naming conventions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m with you on that… I hate when I feel like I somehow have to prove that I’m a “geek” — I’m going to write a little about that. Ultimately, though, the label doesn’t matter as much to me as the recognition that there are so many things out there that people “geek out” about. Things that individuals are passionate about. Things that one is likely to end up knowing ridiculous details about and able to ramble on about for far longer than many want to listen 🙂
LikeLike
great idea 🙂 I do not think I am “geeky enough” to take part in it, but will read 😀
LikeLike
It’s my theory that everyone is “geeky enough” about something! Sometimes it’s just a matter of figuring out what 🙂
Happy to have you as a reader!
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh I consider myself “somewhat geeky” in few matters, not lost completely in them though 😀 therefore not sure I’m “geeky enough” 😉
LikeLike
Fine line, my friend.. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now I’m thinking I’m just a geek/nerd wannabe. I did this wrong by putting my comment in that box up above. I get easily confused.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
#geekpastiche
Tossing It Out
LikeLike
No such thing as a wannabe! I bet you’ve got your own geek-nerd “cred” 🙂
LikeLike
Over the past 40 years, I’ve gone through several different, lengthy geek phases. I’m willing to put my experience to work, especially for other writers who may want a bit of specialized research guidance. What I’ve learned does no good if it stays squirreled away between my ears.
Here’s the story of how I became an Ireland geek (aka Hiberno-anorak): http://wp.me/p30cCH-1pz
LikeLike
Thanks! If you think of a particular post you’d like to write let me know 🙂
LikeLike
Not sure if I was held for moderation or if I lost a comment, so trying this again. Just stopping by to say thanks for joining the #geekpastiche blog party and snag a link to tweet later. (If I’ve doubled up, feel free to delete one of them)
– Gene’O
Instigator-in-Chief at Sourcererblog
LikeLike
Looks like the first comment didn’t go through — I thought perhaps it had ended up in Spam or something (since that happens sometimes), and I just hadn’t seen it since this is the first I’ve been on WordPress on an actual computer since Thursday (!) but doesn’t look like it’s there. Glad this one came through! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLike