Every so often, I’ll read about the description of a Linux or Unix fan as being a hirsute, bearded, tubby guy. How did this stereotype get started?
Kernighan and Ritchie, perhaps?
I dunno. I am a Linux (only) user, and I’m neither hirsute nor tubby.
Then again, lots of the folks responsible for keeping Unix alive (and free software) do meet that stereotype. Take a look at Richard Stallman:
http://www.techfestival.org/gallery/album11/T0N075
or Linux Torvalds:
http://linuxgazette.berlios.de/issue31/photos2.html
(Torvalds in the red shirt.)
The one is hirsute (and a bit heavy) and the other is pudgy.
These are just a couple of the most famous, and I would think that they provide at least some of the image.
Richard Stallman just has a beard because he thinks he’s Jesus.
I’m tubby, but sadly beardless.
Shit. Linus Torvalds.
It’s one stereotype that in my personal experience, usually fits. With a caveat - I’m a “fan”, and other than my short beard… nope. If you take a look at *nix administrators, those who know all about the hardware and software they preside over, buffered from your sight by two layers of technicians and a locked door, who know more about the problems you’re having with the network before you even knew you were having one… yes, your profile seems to fit.
As to why, I don’t have a clue. This stereotype’s been around for a long while though, longer than Linux. Perhaps they are all trying to emulate some mentor, known only to those special few. (I um… doubt Stallman’s the one though)
Maybe because when you’re spending 18 hours a day in front of a computer, you tend to drop some things like shaving? When I’m on a coding binge, I tend to not shave because it seems a waste of time. Bathing is beneficial both to oneself and one’s surrounding company, but as far as growing a beard goes, it’s not hurting anyone.
UnuMondo
Most computer professionals will either be overly skinny or overly fat.
Computing professional and exercise appear to not line up much… I’m thinking it’s a set of personality traits that just happen to not coincide often… to wit “able to get engrossed in typing and clicking” and “exercising a lot” have a low rate of co-occurence.
The only question winds up being if the computer professional in question likes to eat.
If he likes to eat, like me, you wind up being 300 pounds.
If you don’t like to eat, you wind up being a 150 pound weakling.
Either way, you should exercise more… but that’s another thread.
I work around a lot of coders and myself am the sort of person that spends a lot of time on computers (I’m in graphics though, not programming). The 18 hour days that are frequently required in this profession have a lot to do with it…
At the same time my particular office has a very nice gym and a huge majority of the company uses it. In fact, we have more people working here that would be considered “built” than would be considered “overweight”. Way more. The reason for that is frustration, I think. After you’ve been working on the same problem for 12-18 hours you need to get away and the gym provides a great break.
The beard thing is right out where I work too, but I think that’s just a function of how young the group of people are. I will say, though, that when we are all doing crazy overtime no one at all shaves and we all look pretty nasty. No time for it. Showers just happen because they help you wake up a bit in order to continue working.
-n
That looks like an early 1970s era prog rock band!
I’m wondering if the bearded Unix guru is just an unqrutten rule of geek culture, much like how a disproportionately large amount fo folks who are way into computers are also big fans of anime, Monty Python, SCA, and so on.
It’s simple. When you sit on your ass all day typing and staring at a screen, you have no time to exercise, shave, nor bathe. Thinking and coding and debugging takes sole priority above the aforementioned. You turn out like Richard Stallman who does none of the above.
It’s not a conscious decision to be that way. It’s just that certain personality traits and lifestyle choices inevitably result in that sort of look.
P.S. Microsoft employees don’t look like this because they all – necessarily – shave and bathe before their job interviews, and get into the habit of doing so regularly, in case they get fired before their stock options vest. The pudginess stays for the most part.
transitionality: Eh, accusing someone of not bathing is pretty serious. Got anything to back it up?
A friend of mine was unfortunate enough to sit in the front row while RMS was on stage giving a talk. She has a very vivid recollection of getting a whiff of RMS’ hygiene. She brings it up every time the topic comes up.
She is not alone in having this opinion – or a supersensitive nose. I’ve read a number of accounts of Linux conferences, etc. where commentators remark passingly regarding RMS’ hygiene.
I don’t think this is insulting in this specific case because the man just doesn’t care all that much. It’s clearly not a priority for him. If he cared, he would have addressed it.
Well, RMS is a known freak. What can I say? I know I’m a *nix geek who maintains a very normal, very acceptable level of personal hygiene. I also manage to spend inordinate amounts of time writing software, maintaining my system, and fantasizing about an upgrade. 
So don’t let one smelly apple taint a bushel (and bushels and bushels) of more … social geeks.
Here’s a satisfactory selection of cites to convince the skeptics: