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WHAT IS A GEEK?
Revised 8/24/07
A geek is:
- Really
smart
- Not
afraid to try new stuff
- Kind
of a
loner
- Interested
in everything
- Knows
a
lot about a lot
- Never
gives up
- Knows
the
difference between right and wrong
- Quick
witted
- Not
very
socially adept
- Probably
suffered childhood trauma, usually inflicted by others, that made you
feel like crap. You know, bullies
- Thoughtful
and respectful towards others
- Geek
bible - HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams. 42 my friend,
42.
ARE
GEEKS BETTER THEN OTHER PEOPLE?
NO! And I'm ashamed of you for asking such a question. We all have our
contributions to make to the universe. Being geeky is just one of many
ways to help. And BTW, you should be helping. Are you helping?
WHAT
IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NERD AND GEEK?
I don't really know. They may be one-and-the-same. I just like the sound of geek better. "Geeky" sounds better than "nerdy".
IS
NERD BAD?
Absolutely not! Every person has positives and negatives, no mater how
society labels them.
CAN I LEARN TO BE A GEEK?
No. You must be born/raised a geek.
DO
I WANT MY KID(S) TO GROW UP TO BE A GEEK?
Depends. Everyone has the opportunity to lead happy, fulfilling lives.
If you want your kids to be happy, let them explore their options, with
your gentle and sure guidance.
WHO
ARE SOME FAMOUS GEEKS?
Da Vinci, Galileo, Bohr, Rutherford, Oppenheimer. The list is endless and I will add to it. Just think of any individual who
used science and thought to create great change in the world.
I'M AN ENGINEER. AM I A GEEK?
Probably.
WHY
HAVE YOU MADE THIS WEBSITE?
As I get older, I find that I am very proud of my accomplishments. For
most of my life, the world (and my father) did not acknowledge my
geekness, and so I felt it was a bad thing. Not any more. I now embrace
(and advertise...see the license plate) that I am a geek.
It's
a place where I can vent my inner stuff on an unsuspecting universe
and I can soapbox about things that matter to me. I also hope that I
can help other geeks attain their full geekness and to be proud of
their uniqueness.
ARE
YOU REALLY THE KING?
Unfortunately no. There are MANY others who deserve the title, but I
happened to snag the URL. But I FEEL like the king.
WHAT ABOUT GUYS LIKE BILL GATES OR STEVE JOBS?
Yup...they're geeks all right. But I'm not sure they have actually done
us right...see below.
CAN GIRLS BE GEEKS?
Of course. Geeky girls are cool.
WHAT
DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
I'm an engineer. I design equipment for the solar industry. I have had
a very successful business for over 25 years. We have sold millions of
our products.
I
WANT TO START A COMPANY. CAN YOU OFFER ME ANY ADVICE?
You betcha!
- be
ready
to lead the life of a business owner.
- do
your
market research.
- have
a
business plan, even if its in your head.
- whatever
your product or service, MAKE SURE YOU PRICE IT SO THAT YOU CAN EARN A
LIVING.
- automate,
automate, automate. I
know...expensive, expensive, expensive. But you'll regret not taking
this course if you are successful.
- hire
the
MOST COMPETENT people you
can afford. In fact, pay more then you can afford. Just make sure your
product is priced accordingly. Warm and breathing are NOT good
qualifications (although they help).
- don't
listen to naysayers, but do seek out advice you trust in your gut, and
act on it.
- don't
worry about fancy digs...work
out of a cheap garage if you have to. Invest in equipment and people
first. Of course, if your business DEPENDS on having fancy digs, I.E.
you must impress people who visit, make sure its a very FANCY garage.
- take
a
break...don't burn out. Since
you've hired VERY competent people (you have, haven't you?), you can
afford to go on a biking expedition in Montana for a week...with no
cell phones!
- be
prepared for taxes, rules,
regulations, OSHA, strikes (not your people, but UPS, the post office,
or your vendors), inspectors, insurance, lawsuits, workers comp, the
IRS audits, your state bureaucracy, etc., etc., etc.
- If
possible, never have one-person departments. Cross-train if you can.
Document jobs so a newcomer can catch on quickly.
- CASH
FLOW
IS KING....everything else dwindles to insignificance. No cash flow, no
business.
- Be
good.
Be honest in ALL of your
dealings. Treat customers like KINGS or QUEENS. Remember...the customer
is always right, even when they're wrong.
- Right
from the get-go, be FIRM but
FAIR with your employees. Do not let them "squeak by". Bad employees
and their attitudes can infect an organization like cancer, and it
happens very quickly.
Where does
this
advice come from?
Basically, from some of the MISTAKES that I made and the wisdom that
stuck to me as I struggled my way through this. I learned the hard way.
Maybe I can make your way just a little bit easier.
Someday, I'm going to write a book about this.
WHY
DO YOU DO THE PROJECTS LISTED ON THE
FIRST PAGE?
To stave off boredom and to keep my mind sharp. Also looking
for the next great killer app.
WHO
IS DR. FLAWD?
Oy, you have to ask? Dr. Flawd is the most renowned and prestigious
degreed investigator of silly science in the entire universe. He has
dedicated his life to exposing those persons who willingly and with
great malfeasance, perpetrate science scams in the interest of making
money. They hurt you and me (well, not me, because its easy to see
through their nefarious ways). BTW, Dr. Flawd is NOT a real person...I
made him up.
CAN
I SEND
MY QUESTIONS ABOUT SILLY SCIENCE TO DR. FLAWD?
Yup. Here is his e-mail address: terry@thegeekking.com
MY
COMPUTER'S BROKEN. CAN YOU FIX IT?
No.
DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING?
Yes. Its 42. Read the GEEK BIBLE.
WHAT
DO MERE MORTALS DO WHEN THEIR HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT BREAKS?
This is one of those issues that REALLY bothers me. Those who do not
follow the geek-way are at the mercy of companies that don't really
care about their customers. Don't get me started on this...I'll never
shut up.
You
could try the GEEK SQUAD or your local computer guru (no endorsements
here...never used them). Some companies DO offer excellent customer
service. Support pages on websites can sometimes lead you down the
correct path.
And GETHUMAN.COM
can get you to a REAL LIVE PERSON!
WHY
IS YOUR
CAR SO DIRTY?
I'm very busy, and I'm a slob.
WHAT
KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE?
A 2007 Toyota Rav-4. Previously a Saab 9-5 with 120,000 miles on it. It finally just....died. .
IS
"GEEK KNG" REALLY YOUR LICENSE PLATE?
Yes
WHAT
DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?
Life. Women. Why McDonald's and KFC taste so good, but asparagus really
sucks.
HOW
DO YOU FEEL ABOUT COMPUTERS?
Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. And its all the fault of Microsoft.
Again, don't get me started.
...ABOUT
WINDOWS?
Aaaarrrrrggggghhhh!
...ABOUT
LINUX?
Even worse then Windows. They need to port this for the common man, not other geeks.
...ABOUT
APPLE?
Better then Windows, but with a real attitude....and not a good one.
They think that they walk on water. Have you ever tried to get
something fixed at their "genius bar"? Their products seem to be
designed to last one month beyond the warranty. I've had 100% of my
Apple purchases die in EXACTLY THIS MANNER! And you can
only listen to iTunes on iPods! No way, man. (NOTE: even as I write this, the Ipod-only scenario is changing. OK, NOW I might use Itunes). |
