Yes we're all geeks, but are you happy with that?

[aaron]

You mean Nu-Metal? That's the only kind of metal that has any kind of mass appeal, at least in this country anyway.

REAL metal has no appreciation in the states outside of the internet as far as I can tell. Dark Tranquillity, Iced Earth, Nightwish, Blind Guardian, Dragon Force, Children of Bodom etc,etc, etc. I don't see these bands getting any kind of radio play. Not here in America anyway.

If it's longer than three minutes and actually has *gasp*a guitar solo, than it's too shocking for American listeners. I don't think the average Joe even knows what the different metal genres are, since most of what passes for metal in the radio today sounds exactly the same.

I guess I should be grateful that SOME kind of metal is on radios. Most genres of music outside of hip hop, rap, and pop(or what actually passes for these kinds of music these days)just get ignored.

I hate to sound so cynical and judgemental, and I don't hate all mainstream music, but again, this is sort of the reality of things. I'm a realist

Ok metal snob, please don't derail threads. And don't assume I'm some kind of noob regarding the genre. I enjoy 4 of the bands you mentioned. I don't care how popular something is. If it's good, it's good. The end.

My, aren't we touchy? Derailing the thread? You brought it up.

And let's just state for the record, that you started the name calling here. I don't recall calling you a noob, but you called me a snob, I was just stating my opinions

Guess I'll keep my opinions on music to myself, didn't know we had such sensitive babies here.

NUH UH U R A SENSITIVE BABY.

[Mozgus]

The only babies around here are the kids who look down on others based on the music they listen to. I have to put up with that shit from my teen sisters, and some bastards at work. The last place I'm going to put up with it is here. Listening to any music will never make you cooler than anyone else, but it does have the ability to make you less cool if you believe so.

Anyways the mainstream/underground argument has been done to death. You aren't treading any new ground by bringing it up again. You're beating a dead horse. If I happen to like some Metallica or Korn, just don't give me that conformist jargon. I can think and act for myself.

[lordofduct]

the funny part is the 'Sega' t-shirt rarely tips anyone off... that's the other annoying part... IF I find a console gamer, SEGA is the last thing they'd ever dream of playing. It's Nintendo this and Nintendo that, and 'do you own an NES?'. Yeah asshole, I also own a Master System and PC-Engine... oh what are those? Don't worry, go play your Super Mario Bros. 3

I love how you think someone is an asshole for playing Mario 3, lol.

I guess you can say that. Don't get me wrong, I played the game, just pulled it out again 3 weeks ago. It's just NES is so tright... it's not oldschool gaming in my book.

The only babies around here are the kids who look down on others based on the music they listen to. I have to put up with that shit from my teen sisters, and some bastards at work. The last place I'm going to put up with it is here. Listening to any music will never make you cooler than anyone else, but it does have the ability to make you less cool if you believe so.

Anyways the mainstream/underground argument has been done to death. You aren't treading any new ground by bringing it up again. You're beating a dead horse. If I happen to like some Metallica or Korn, just don't give me that conformist jargon. I can think and act for myself.

This issue bothers me as well... like what you like, I'll like what I like. I just don't feel like listening to your crap, and vice versa (i.e. the SMB3 issue).

What makes me laugh though are a lot of these rock&roll kids around here who love the 'underground' scene and worship the GROUND bands like "Beatles", "Rolling Stones", "Led Zeppelin", etc. walked on.

Guess what boys and girls... meet the boy bands of 30 years ago!

[Ivo]

Doesn't bother me. But perhaps because my field is very different.
I actually believe in the area (not geographically) I work on, we are all special (in a good sense), so people don't mind as much if someone is specially interested in games. I don't publically advertise it or anything, but I have no shame in doing it, and if someone asks me, I never dodge the issue.

I'm a bit surprised that Mozgus doesn't take crap from people making fun of the music he hears, but is reticent in admitting he games as a hobby (don't take this as an attack, it just seems incosistent - if you don't care what others think about the music you like, why care what they think about the hobby you have)?

Ivo.

[Mozgus]

I'm a bit surprised that Mozgus doesn't take crap from people making fun of the music he hears, but is reticent in admitting he games as a hobby (don't take this as an attack, it just seems incosistent - if you don't care what others think about the music you like, why care what they think about the hobby you have)?

Ivo.

It's not about caring about what others think. It's just about avoiding conflict or other uncomfortable situations in life, especially at work. You don't want any of that drama. You just want to stay on everyone's good terms to make each day as simple as the last.

But anyway, in an effort to combine the two topics, I tell plenty of people that the majority of my 55GB of music is actually video game muslc. No one makes fun of me, but they don't say anything past "Oh....huh....wow.".

But uh, in my opinion, enjoying a few bands or maybe a genre, seems like an insignificant dedication compared to gaming as a whole.

[Bev]

It's not about caring about what others think. It's just about avoiding conflict or other uncomfortable situations in life, especially at work. You don't want any of that drama. You just want to stay on everyone's good terms to make each day as simple as the last.

That's the best statement of the topic. If you immediately tell someone gaming is one of your major hobbies they will switch off like *that* and you'll never register to them again. If you wait till that person gets to know you better, it's not half as much of an issue. Sure, maybe that means people are shallow but that's how it is. Having people you're forced to be around (whether it's work, school or anywhere else) avoid you like the plague makes life a lot harder than it has to be.

EDIT: Just to answer the topic title, yes, I am happy being a geek. I enjoy my gaming/programming activities, and I couldn't be happier doing anything else. I do wish it was more accepted, but it's not, and there's no use crying over something you can't change.

[durkada]

Spawned from this thread, I was actually thinking about this yesterday. While the geek lifestyle has become more or less accepted in this country and others, it's still slightly looked down upon, I feel. Are you secure about your choice of lifestyle?

Often, when meeting new people, they want to know what you do in your spare time. Then comes a choice. Do you respond with the generic, vague answer "Oh, I just do whatever.", and move along? Or do you reply honestly about your gaming and computer-ing habits? For most people, it probably depends on the appearance of the other person.

I'll admit, I'm in the middle. I'm vague until I've known the person for a few days. By that point, you can determine if they're going to give you any shit or simply avoid you because they find you boring. I dunno about you guys, but it seems that once a person has understood that I game, work on a site, repair comps, barely watch sports, never drink, smoke, or party, or act wild in any way, that person pretty much never willingly speaks to me again. On the one hand, I don't want to know someone so shallow. On the other, 90% of the people I meet follow this pattern.

You also have to factor in your location. For me, there just aren't many geeks in Kansas. In fact, I haven't found anyone even close to the degree of geekdom as myself, and I'm really not that extreme. All I ever find are people who casually dab into GTA and Halo, and can use Yahoo Instant Messager. That's about it. In fact, it's really pissing me off in recent years. I was obviously born in the wrong place.

So am I happy about the interests I have? More or less. My hobbies keep me entertained, and even genuinely raise my spirit at times, and also simply keep my brain active. But then, it's a lonely fuckin' area for someone like me. I'm not really depressed about it. Just indifferent about it.

I don't know what my aim of this thread is, but every few years, I analyze what I do, and ask myself if I should try to conform to the population. I never find a good enough reason to do so.

Location does play a big deal in this, as well as the progressive nature of society. While Georgia may remain a backwoods, backwards state -- saving the unborn babies from evolution so they can spread democracy in Iraq for Jeezus -- the metro area and many pockets tend to be sensible. As I live in the metro area, there is no problem telling people I enjoy playing video games -- I can even tell them I enjoy it old school, and explain how my tastes were crafted by the early video arcades. Some people will dig it, most, upon realizing I have some cabinets will want to play and engage in a little nostalgia.

More than not, this little hobby of mine has done much to make people comfortable during parties and meeting people. My wife and I like to throw a bash now and then, and it can be overwhelming for one person to be introduced to a whole gaggle of strangers. The games, more than anything, allows people to slowly acclimate themselves to others -- they can escape to the basement, play some Walords, pinball. They can join in some Pacman Vs., some Samba de Amigo... There are some illegal lawn darts outside, etc. The games are all simple enough that anyone can just join in or wander off and amuse themselves for a bit. I don't have to explain my hobbies to anyone who comes to our house -- I'm somewhat obsessive about them, surely, but most everyone has a blast going through the "arcade".

The thing, however, is that I rarely have to tell people I play retro games when being introduced. My wife more often than not tells people I play boardgames -- and she only mentions that because the boardgame collection is, well, big. Ok, great. But one-on-one, I have so many interests that the answer to the question: -- "what do you do for fun?" -- often involves many things. "Painting, pen & ink, games, pinball, biking, reading, local fortean research, cooking" -- there is always something that hits a note with another and can act as a bridge.

More importantly, however, is that progressive nature of society thang I mentioned. For the most part, we have a freedom to pursue our interests that my parents certainly did not have. As adults, we can read comics (graphic novels), play video games, play board games, collect toys, whatever -- indulge in things that our parents were not capable of enjoying. The previous generation or two had more rigid social mores, were expected to fulfill roles and enjoy only those things most deeply associated with those roles of parent, wife, husband. For our parents, these things were for the play of children -- and instead of abandoning them, our generation made them the play of adults.

But still, in redneck areas and more stody environments, its a waste of time to play. And thats against the American spirit of constant productivity and the pursuit of manly things. Somehow, getting drunk on a boat making misogynist jokes while waiting for the stupidest fish to find you, is not a waste of time to these people. If I still lived in the boonies, around drunkards and racist buffoons, I would gladly tell people the only thing I did was play video games -- I'd do everything I could to advertise it. This goes back to that high-school mentality of wearing T-shirts with band names on it, forming cliques. Its important to find people who share your interests. Because, ultimately, if you don't tell someone you enjoy the hobby, you immediately lose the possibility you had something to share -- which is the same, but worse, than telling someone and having them scoff.

Fuck em.

[Ramatut4001]

I like being a geek, but I do sort of multi-class. I guess I dress pretty mainstream/hip-hop. I grew up an inner city geek, in south Minneapolis you could be into a lot of geeky stuff and be accepted. It's sort of an avant-garde area. I talk to a few of my friends back home every week or two about the kind of stuff that no one I know out here in Maryland is into. Even they don't get why I play DND though! And the people out here that I play DND with aren't into a lot of the other stuff I'm into.

As far as music, I try to be open but it's mostly rap (so-called backpack rap and early 90s). I do listen to a lot of classic breaks and jazz, David Axelrod, etc. I also like some metal but I'm hardly an expert.

[racketboy]

What makes me laugh though are a lot of these rock&roll kids around here who love the 'underground' scene and worship the GROUND bands like "Beatles", "Rolling Stones", "Led Zeppelin", etc. walked on.

Guess what boys and girls... meet the boy bands of 30 years ago!

As much as I don't like derailing threads, I think its really weird that you see people wearing T-shirts of The Ramones all time time now... Anybody else notice that.

Anyway, also why do you think SMB3 and other NES games are trite?
Not seeing that at all....

[GSZX1337]

What makes me laugh though are a lot of these rock&roll kids around here who love the 'underground' scene and worship the GROUND bands like "Beatles", "Rolling Stones", "Led Zeppelin", etc. walked on.

Guess what boys and girls... meet the boy bands of 30 years ago!

As much as I don't like derailing threads, I think its really weird that you see people wearing T-shirts of The Ramones all time time now... Anybody else notice that.

Anyway, also why do you think SMB3 and other NES games are trite?
Not seeing that at all....

I don't mind people wearing t-shirts of old bands (especially since today's music really sucks), but what really bothers me is when people wear an AC/DC shirt (really popular at my old school) and I come up to them and say "Name 5 AC/DC songs." and they can't even name three.