I’m not exactly the nerdiest guy ever. I’m kind of more an average joe, but I feel like if I were to fit into any stereotype niche, nerd or geek would probably be the most appropriate. I can hold my own in a philosophical discussion and I have plenty of nerdy hobbies.
Yesterday, at night I played ultimate frisbee with a bunch of guys that I didn’t really know at all. I was invited by a friend from high school and I thought it’d be a good opportunity to expand my social horizons. Anyway, as I was leaving I was also invited to lunch and a movie today with the same group.
So I get to lunch today, and I’m sitting there with a few guys I know from high school and some people that I had just met yesterday. And I proceed to be on the receiving end of the most vicious nerdy beatdown I’ve ever experienced. I spent a good hour with a “duh?” expression on my face.
To summarize the topics of conversation:
-the in-depth difference between “hacking” and “cracking”
-how you can use somebody’s Facebook password to steal their identity
-the fifth dimension and manipulation of time
-in-depth description of making beer from scratch from a guy who makes his own beer
-Dungeons and Dragons…lots of Dungeons and Dragons*
-Magic: The Gathering…lots of Magic: The Gathering
There’s probably more things I’m forgetting that my small, not-quite-as-nerdy-as-I-thought brain couldn’t handle.
My contribution during a lull in the conversation was “So, does anybody watch any TV?” I could have been in my comfort zone then…but all I got from around the table was a resounding “No.” :smack:
I don’t know whether I should be ashamed at my faux-nerdiness as I have been clearly outclassed here, or glad there are apparently about 20 points further to the right on the nerd scale.
*And it wasn’t just normal D&D talk. These guys were quoting exact powers and armor and special items and…sigh…
The difference between hacking and cracking is important, with wide-ranging implications in our thoroughly computerized society. The ability to have your identity stolen on Facebook is like that, but much more so. (And quite a bit more obvious.) The extradimensional stuff is pretty out-there, and I don’t know much about it, nor would I expect to hear about it in any circle outside of physics nerds (well, and metaphysics nerds, but that’s a whole 'nother kettle of soup). Homebrewing is not a particularly nerdy area of interest–ISTM that anyone who enjoys a good pint should have some basic understanding of how the process works, or at least be receptive to hearing about it.
Getting that caught up in D&D is a little weird, but (1) at least it’s a social activity, which is several steps up from sitting at a computer and playing videogames all night, IMO, and (2) anyone who DMs has to know stuff on that kind of in-depth level, because they have to be able to juggle it with mathematical operations on the fly during a game so they don’t bog it down by stopping to look up rules and stuff. It’s a little more odd to debate the finer points of +2 Whatever Spear vs. +3 Whatever Sword or, um, whatever. Especially when the group has a new guest who isn’t into that kind of stuff. But then, I’m not really a D&D fan; I only ever play it if there’s absolutely nothing else to do. d20 in general is pretty lame, and not worth all the money Wizards of the Coast demands for it. Speaking of which, I have a burning hatred for all things WotC, which may partially explain this whole thing.
Which brings me to Magic: the Gathering. IMO, anyone who talks about Magic: the Gathering at a social setting (or, indeed, plays the game or spends any significant amount of money on it) might as well be 12 years old. I mean, really. It’s just Yu-Gi-Oh! glorified by being a little older.
And most TV sucks. Harvey Birdman is another story, though…
I understand your concern. I was at a party one time where I determined from the actions of the others attending that I was one of the coolest guys there. Frankly, I don’t want to attend any party where a guy like me is the coolest guy there. So, I left.
Two things, and the best part is, it’s much easier to do this if you’re wasted:
“I quit being a DM 'cause the stupid players couldn’t keep their probability theory straight. Never again. Bugger off.”
Invent some esoteric literary subject that you’re really into, complete with a centuries-long background, which they know nothing about, which shouldn’t surprise anyone, given that you just made it up.
Won’t increase your non-nerd quotient, but will help a lot toward making others have fear and dread at the mention of your name.
Er, why would you want to fit in with a bunch of people that talk about role-playing games where they pretend to be wizards? (And yes, I had to look up what “Magic: the Gathering” is.)
Well, they are nice people and as I said, I’m primarily hanging out with them to play ultimate frisbee, something I haven’t been able to find a group for in a while. I wasn’t trying to come across as "I want to be a nerd like these guys! :eek: " It was more shock at the fact that, for the longest time, I thought I was pretty nerdy but after hanging out with them I feel a heck of a lot more normal.
Welcome to the Dope, Pollux Oil. That is a clever user name. It made me smile.
Strange, I am pretty geeky, but I find that usually during D&D games they are constantly interrupted by sports talk and TV & movie talk. Maybe that is part of being an older geek?
I give up - how whooshed will I feel? Paul Luxoil? Paul Lucks Oil? Something about Castor and Pollux?
And if nerds who are all friends want to make someone feel excluded by getting their geek on, there’s not much you can do about it. I watch my son and his 10-year-old buddies and they can chop a newbie out of the herd like raptors. Don’t take it personally and don’t sweat your geek cred - it was all about nerd Alpha Male dominance. Your corner got pissed in, s’all.
I suspect many/most Dopers have been there. I sure have - on both sides.
Remember the old martial arts truism: Someone always knows more. It doesn’t matter how nerdy you are, there’s always going to be someone who makes you look like an 80 year old golfing enthusiast.
Just roll with it; when that happens, I find it comforting to know at least there’s someone in the world who is more of a nerd than I am.
(Right now, my office mate is cutting sections on the cryostat- while listening to a biography of Abraham Lincoln on his ipod. I’m completely outclassed.)
Hm. The EPA needs to do further studies on the efficacy of this repellent, as I (nerd that I am) am mildly to moderately interested in people who can talk nerdy AND play Ultimate.
Research is on-going. There has been concern for some time that certain strains of chick are becoming resistant to even the stronger forms of repellent; though some researchers maintain that what have been observed are not true chicks, but the hitherto rarely-sighted female nerd. In either case, it raises the possibility that nerds may be actually be able to reproduce sexually – something previously thought impossible outside of laboratory conditions.
Oooh, cryostat? Being in the same room as one of those makes you at least an accessory to bio-geekness. You a med tech, by any chance?
I’m outgeeked all the time, since my boyfriend is a programmer and likes to gut computers and poke around their insides to make strange hybrid electronic creatures. But I can talk about enzymes and antibodies and put him in his place.
Just to clarify, I was serious, seeing his username, I smiled, thinking that it was clever, but I also read Greek mythology for fun and love the Heinlein book “Rolling Stones”.
The funny thing is one of the guys brought his wife along with him, so there’s hope that females can build up an immunity to it. The waitresses, on the other hand, definitely avoided our table like the plague.
As for the username, yeah what he said. I was somewhat of an astronomy enthusiast in high school and Gemini’s always been my favorite constellation (since it’s also my Zodiac symbol), so my name was basically me thinking “how can I make a clever name for myself…oh I know!”
Harvey Birdman is another story, though…
So, I left.
