Flight of the Geeks

Grok Headline matches for Flight of the Geeks

PCs for non-geeks

PCs for non-geeks 10/29/2003 01:14 AM

A couple of interesting links about the security problems faced by the vast majority of the home PC using public, who don't know how to install security updates (or even what they are) and don't have a corporate IT department to bail them out when they run in to problems. Joe Average User Is In Trouble is a column by a security expert bemoaning the scale of the problem. Do we all need a personal system administrator? is a call for advice from Steve Garrity for tips on minimising the support calls he gets from his parents, and includes an excellent response from Matt Haughey in the comments.

I've been called to a less-geeky friend's PC before to find it so infested with malware that it had slowed to a crawl. Most security breaches seem to come from Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, so Matt's advice to replace them with Firebird and Thunderbird seems like a particularly good idea. Placing PCs behind a hardware router is a great idea as well as it at least prevents nasty traffic from the internet from probing the computer - although as Adam Kalsey points out such a set up won't prevent malicious software that has already snuck its way on to a PC from calling home.

We're All Geeks Now

We're All Geeks Now 07/22/2004 03:13 PM
We've complained before about how the tech industry is way too focused on "jargon," but it appears that now that tech is going so mainstream, lots of people are picking up the jargon, even if they don't realize it. New Media Zero has an amusing anecdote about a focus group on a new digital video recorder advertising effort where there was a woman in the "over 70" age group who admitted she wasn't technically literate at all. However, when the ad system was being described to her, she apparently stated: "So it's a bit like the difference between streaming and downloading content over a broadband connection." Apparently, the woman who claimed she wasn't technically literate at all had picked up more than she realized -- she just assumed that everyone else knew more about tech than she did, because they always seemed to before. In other words, perhaps technolog y is making us all into geeks these days. The writer also points to the number of people (in the UK, where this is more common than the US) who use more advanced features on their mobile phones (and know all the terminology associated with it), saying that ten years ago, most of those people would insist they would never use such features. This doesn't mean that tech lingo is still good for marketing purposes, but it does suggest learning the lingo isn't as big a hurdle as some make it out to be.

Six Geeks

Six Geeks 02/17/2004 11:45 PM
Last week at the ETCON, James Duncan Davidson posted this picture which captures so many different themes to me. ...

Geeks and the Sun

Geeks and the Sun 07/20/2004 03:05 AM
Heard today at work, as I arrived to a meeting late: "Hey, you got some sun this weekend." "I get sun every weekend." It was only later that I realized how un-computer-geeky I've been this summer. I've spent every weekend I can outside and away from the computer. And, if the day is going well, I'm often 3,000 - 9,000 feet in the air. Sometimes more. It's good to have a hobby that gets me out of the house. As...

Where do geeks go to die?

Where do geeks go to die? 02/13/2004 01:13 PM
Answer: The Apple Store. A bunch of us decided to do a pilgrimage to the nearest Apple sales point, and unfortunately nobody got out unharmed. I survived with only some scratches (a couple of games and a TV adapter), but one of the guys who came "just to browse" ended up buying a 15" Powerbook, and a French guy could not resist buying a 23" Cinema Display.

The question is not whether we are still sane, but whether the French guy can fit the display in his carry-on baggage...

ETech is NOT a good place to be if you have ever wondered about buying a Mac, because everyone there is such an Mac überuser. You just cannot help but be sucked in after seeing how cool it is to edit documents with SubEthaEdit and chat with everyone in the same Rendezvous circle.

Using a Mac is not about speed or the latest 3D games. It is about the aesthetic experience of completeness and satisfaction.

When Geeks Go Camping

When Geeks Go Camping 01/09/2004 09:57 PM

Linux for Non-Geeks

Linux for Non-Geeks 06/22/2004 05:11 PM

Evil geeks

Evil geeks 09/14/2004 02:49 PM
Cory Doctorow: Danny "Evil" O'Brien has written an hilarious column in (mock) celebration of the world's most evil geeks:

How do you work out who the movers and shakers are in the free software hacking world? For most of them, there's no income to be appraised, there's no stock market valuation to watch. What value can you give to these contributors, who work without care of reward, except maybe all those groupies hanging out at the stage door of the Sourceforge ftp servers?

Well, I guess you could review their software or something. Sadly, I suffer from a debilitating illness (which I shall not mention here) that tragically precludes me from doing actual research. So, instead, I have decided to evaluate those involved in our so-called industry in terms of what we all, I think, see it as.

Link

Showtime for geeks

Showtime for geeks 02/10/2004 05:03 AM
We could do "My Big Fat Obnoxious Finance Officer" - but that would mostly be geeks talking to nerds and making fun of bean counters. Then there's "FUD Factor" - trapped in a room with marketing guys for new networking start-ups. Last one to run screaming into the street is the winner.

Geeks are not as outnumbered as they
believe

Geeks are not as outnumbered as they
believe 12/02/2003 01:49 AM
A Pew Research study shows that 31% of Americans are "tech savvy," with significant differences in how people of different ages use the Internet

Geeks for Dinner

Geeks for Dinner 12/29/2003 01:17 AM
A Silicon Valley Geek Dinner hosted by Robert Scoble is on tomorrow night at the Cheesecake Factory in Palo Alto....

Geeks and Goblins

Geeks and Goblins 04/23/2004 10:42 AM
Twenty years too late to warn my parents, Cyber Moon Studios presents Dungeons & Dragons: an Eight Bit Re-Enactment, "a frightening look at America's most frightening pastime." (04-23)

A home for geeks

A home for geeks 07/06/2004 11:18 PM
Sunday Times South Africa Jul 7 2004 3:06AM GMT

Firefox: Only for the Geeks?

Firefox: Only for the Geeks? 09/06/2004 06:24 PM

Why I don't recommend Firefox: Adam doesn't think that Firefox is ready to be unleashed on all users just yet. He makes some good points.

Firefox right now is very good for an experienced net user, but is not at all ready for the average person. If you plan on targeting the general public, you need to understand the general public.

Most Web users don't know what a browser is. That blue E they click on the desktop isn't a browser, it's "The Internet."� Or maybe it's "Yahoo" if that's what their home page is set to.

Now my story —

I installed Firefox on my parents' computer because IE bugs were making me nervous. My folks are 61 and 72. I just removed the IE link from the desktop, configured the Firefox shortcut to look use blue "E" icon, and named it "Internet." I never even told them.

They haven't yet noticed, and I don't expect them to. The only problem we've had is that Firefox doesn't do Flash natively, and I had to go get a plugin for that. Otherwise, it's been smooth as anything. (And believe, if Mom were to have a problem, she'd tell me — I'm on speed-dial...)

My home machine uses Firefox exclusively. I just told me wife to use the new icon with the bird instead of one with the blue "E". She's never had Problem One.

Annie (my wife) is a bright girl, but I don't think she knows what a "browser" is either. She just knows about "The Internet," and Firefox works as good as IE does. She's a "power browser" too: eBay, online banking, shopping, etc. She doesn't just go to Yahoo once a week — she's on this thing more than me.

So, I don't agree with Adam, but it's a point worthy of debate. Does anyone else have some "Firefox for the non-geek" stories they can share?

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Flaming geeks

Flaming geeks 02/10/2004 02:38 PM

While I was going through and scanning the photos from Barcelona I ran across this picture of a Unix fire extinguisher. :) I giggled when I noticed it and tried to explain the joke to Jessica. The geeks likely think it's funny and the rest of you, well, you'll have to just take my word for it. I should be able to get through the thumbnails and captions tonight so the Barcelona photos will likely be available tomorrow.

When good geeks go bad

When good geeks go bad 10/28/2003 11:06 PM
So, you're reading Scoble's blog entries about PDC and you're wondering, why does this Hillel Cooperman guy sound familiar? Here's...

CSS is for geeks not designers

CSS is for geeks not designers 02/01/2005 10:00 PM
Tables may suck, but CSS is no improvement. Yet web designers who have never used page layout tools for offline...

Geeks and Poker?

Geeks and Poker? 05/26/2004 04:39 PM

"Suits and Geeks"

"Suits and Geeks" 03/14/2003 02:44 AM

Sex Tips for Geeks

Sex Tips for Geeks 06/17/2002 07:56 AM
Eric Raymond, gun nut and open source advocate, plays sex counseller...

"zeldman.darla"

Hey you LA freaky geeks!!!

Hey you LA freaky geeks!!! 03/14/2003 03:47 PM
My friends Griddle are coming your way! March 22nd at the Troubadour in Hollywood. They are the grooviest band I...

Geeks Just Wanna Have Fun

Geeks Just Wanna Have Fun 05/25/2004 11:31 PM
Build It: Trying to build a tasteful yet eye-catching PC with as many glowing parts as possible, Loyd gets a little loopy with cold cathode UV tubes, luminous fans, and an iridescent acrylic case. Is it gaudy or great? You be the judge.

Geeks Aren't Just Guys

Geeks Aren't Just Guys 03/06/2004 02:05 AM
For those who still think tech hounds and gadget fiends are limited to the male half of the population, think again. A new study shows that, at least in the US, young men and women adopt new technologies equally. They even spend the same amount of time playing online games - though, they're probably different types of games for the most part. Men are more likely to own a game console and an MP3 player, but women are more likely to own a mobile phone - which probably does fit with the traditional stereotypes.

Just Another Geeks Blog V.2.3: Still
going

Just Another Geeks Blog V.2.3: Still
going 01/16/2004 10:59 AM
http://eo.dyndns.info/mt-meblog/archives/000885.php#000885 Lesson Learned: So, what did I learn from getting exploited? 1. Keep up to date with Kernel hacks. 2. Do more cross referencing with new applications 3. Segment the server like the ones at work 4. Build a low demand server to handle new apps 5. Move logging off of the production box 6. Deviate more from the norm Seems Just Another Geek Blog found a root kit in his box. Read the Whole...

Geeks Gone Bald

Geeks Gone Bald 03/20/2003 05:31 PM
My illness appears to be passing, although I can still hear some amount of stuffiness when I speak. All should be well by tomorrow morning. I'll return to work, head held high - reflecting the lights above. Yep. I killed the fro. Didn't have much of a choice, mind you. I'm starting from scratch, and sneezing all the way there. *cough cough* I should probably go back to bed now. *sniffle* Thanks for noticing me....

Geeks Without Borders

Geeks Without Borders 02/17/2003 01:19 PM
The next time you see a strange street sign in your neighborhood, it might just be a prop in someone else's entertainment, and the next Google search results ...

On a difference between wonks and
geeks...

On a difference between wonks and
geeks... 03/06/2004 01:55 AM

Here's a suggested difference between geeks and policy wonks that might go some distance towards making the two groups get on with one another better. It is my contention that the two groups simply have radically different registers and types of interaction. Policy wonks - like all politically oriented people - are encouraged to think in terms of combative point-making. The most respected and well-thought through acts of Parliament being those that have been fought over the most. The most convincing politicians are the ones who have solid positions that they can stick with and defend. Political life is a combative life, with positions being tested and retested before they're taken out into the world. In terms of doing things you want to know that the thing you're going to do is the right thing before you get too far down the line, particularly when the consequences of getting things wrong are so potentially enormous.

The life of the creative geek community is very different. The atmosphere of an event like ETCon is not one of absolutist positions (or at least it is on occasion but it's mostly frowned upon), but of gradual accretion, iteration and development. Particularly (but not exclusively) in those realms where development requires time but not a lot of capital investment, ideas are thrown out into the world to see if they'll stand or fall. Those that succeed are iterated upon. Those that fail are either abandoned or taken further by other groups who will try to solve the errors and mistakes that surround them. In terms of making things, each new idea is expected to be flawed and clumsy and full of holes and everyone knows it and works from that point onwards. It's the model of the technologist community as competitive craftspeople, and it operates on the assumption that whether something will be successful or unsuccessful / useful or useless is something that must be left up to how people interact with it and its take-up with a community. You make it the best you can, in the way you think is right, and let the world decide if you got it right...

I think this is the distinction that explains why there are so many disagreements between the groups. One group looks for immediate application where there may be only potential. One group sees possibility where there is no immediate practical benefit. And in talking to each group, you have to use a different register. There's no point talking RDF to policy wonks, because they'll see no application until you can show them something made with RDF that they consider actually politically useful. And there's no point telling technologists that their creations are politically naive, because they'll consider them works in progress, building from a position of naivety towards - in time - something legitimately useful and ground-breaking.

It's a difficult job - understanding which register to use in which circumstance - but it's an important one for those people who have to straddle disciplines. Because one way or another they're going to have to work with geeks or wonks who will by necessity have a very different mind-set. Being aware of the distinction will not only create the possibility of legitimate discussion (and minimise the possibility of large cross-disciplinary enmities) but also inspire actual creativity to emerge between the disciplines...

Read the comments

smart geeks vote

smart geeks vote 12/19/2004 03:09 PM
The clock is ticking. In California, this Monday the 18th is the last day you can register to vote....

It's like an Outlook virus for geeks

It's like an Outlook virus for geeks 04/09/2004 04:00 PM
I know I've mentioned the movie Office Space more than a few times on my weblog. But what I hadn't realized until today is that the movie is a lot like an Outlook virus. I was minding my own business today after a longer than expected meeting/presentation at work when Kasia said she was gonna watch Office Space. Of course, that led to a lot back and forth quoting of some of the best lines in the movie. Of course,...

Christmas Gifts for Geeks

Christmas Gifts for Geeks 12/15/2003 11:43 AM
scottfi writes "The shopping season is just about over and I'm always on the lookout for the cool geek gadget to get friends and family (or myself). What cool ...

No, OS X is like an Outlook virus for
geeks

No, OS X is like an Outlook virus for
geeks 04/09/2004 04:09 PM
Jeremy Zawodny is now also doing the switch. I completely echo is feelings:

I've now had my Powerbook for about five months. During this time, I've had ZERO problems with it. Nada. Zip. I once thought I had a problem with it, but it turned out to be a faulty IMAP server which got a bit confused. My biggest issue with it has been that I could not find the serial number for my cheap-o Panther upgrade. I called the Apple support line, and a very nice guy answered immediately and helped me through it. I don't think I've even read the manuals of this laptop.

The thing is - for an old UNIX geek this Mac is just so bloody intuitive. And since it's UNIX all the way, you can, if you want to, drop down to the lowest level. But you don't have to. That's the beauty of it. I have done twenty years of tweaking of computers. It's enough. I just want things to work - I don't have the time to tweak that crap anymore. And I'm willing to pay a bit more for that privilege. Don't get me wrong - I still think Linux is great and wonderful, and I love to install it everywhere where I can to replace Windows. Hell, if you want to have cheap hardware, you might as well save on the software as well...

But, I find myself using my Powerbook more and more... The only thing I use my Linux box anymore is for file storage (for which it is mightily good, I might add), and coding (big screen, better keyboard). But when I was upgrading the kernel to 2.6 (to get rid of the annoying X scheduling issues and hangups) and rebooted the machine for the 3rd time, I was nearly ready to call Apple Store and order myself a G5...

(Oh yeah, unlike some other Finnish bloggers, I haven't quit blogging. I'm at home, with fever and really almost nothing to blog about. I'm getting ready for a big thingy in Japan next week... In case anyone cares, I'll be in Tokyo from Saturday to Wednesday. Gah. Bad timing for a flu.)

Geeks as the Media at Notacon

Geeks as the Media at Notacon 03/30/2005 08:58 PM

New: Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks

New: Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks 03/06/2004 02:07 AM
O'Reilly & Associates released Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks, a Pantherized version of its previous book for Unix hands.

IBM goes fishing for young geeks

IBM goes fishing for young geeks 07/20/2004 06:07 PM

Direct and Related Links for 'IBM goes fishing for young geeks'

Taking a page from Microsoft’s book of tactics, IBM will be offering computer science program students from specific universities free software and deeply discounted hardware as part of an incentive program. The move may seem strange at first, but IBM is hoping to mold these students into experts in the technologies of IBM’s choosing….

Geeks and the Dijalog Lifestyle

Geeks and the Dijalog Lifestyle 02/18/2004 08:10 PM
Much as we'd like, our personal media collections will never be purely digital. Kendall Clark embarks on a new column dedicated to the application of geek know-how to managing the hybrid analog and digital media collections that we own.

Diverse bunch of Geeks

Diverse bunch of Geeks 09/13/2004 06:27 PM

During the last round of Gmail giveaways many of you sent me your favorite links. First of all thanks for the inputs and I wish I would have had enough for everyone but as I get them I will fill the request. Meanwhile I have been looking over your links and I must say it is curious to see what you all read on a daily basis. I will be posting a compiled list in the upcoming days so everyone can enjoy them..

fundraiser geeks now shipping

fundraiser geeks now shipping 06/17/2005 04:28 PM
About 60 Just A Geeks went out in this morning's mail, so if you participated in the WWdN Fundraiser, start...

Geeks no can stay better organized

Geeks no can stay better organized 10/29/2003 11:21 AM
Everyone has seen a Franklin Covey store many of you probably used a Franklin planner long before palm pilots became...

Geeks are back in charge

Geeks are back in charge 10/28/2003 11:07 PM
I have been lucky in that I get to work with some pretty smart people on a daily basis. The...
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Flight of the Geeks

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