# \[ogre\]NEEERRRRDDDSSSS!!!\[/ogre\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578 "2004-07-30T11:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/1 "2004-07-30T11:48:01Z")
I was driving home from work yesterday and the Baltimore Convention Center was overrun by nerds. It was nerds as far as the eye could see. As I drove in on 395, it was a row of nerds along the back of the building. The nerds continued along the entire west side of the building. And as I turned onto Pratt St., the nerds continued to the front doors of the BCC and formed a large nerd mass. Just what’s going on, and where are they partying tonight? ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/2 "2004-07-30T12:43:10Z")
Is Star Trek convention time already? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/3 "2004-07-30T12:46:33Z")
I ruled out Star Trek because I didn’t see any people dressed up as stuff. Just guys who looked like either Frink or Comic Book Guy and gals who looked like Comic Book Guy. 😃 “I keeed, I keeed.” ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/4 "2004-07-30T13:01:03Z")
Otakon 2004 [a][http://www.otakon.com](http://www.otakon.com)[/a] Looks like an anime convention, and I bet if you pop around there tomorrow you’ll see plenty of folks dressed up ^_^ keke ^_^ ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/5 "2004-07-30T13:10:49Z")
That would explain it. I couldn’t figure it out because they were clearly nerds, but I didn’t see any Vulcan ears. I didn’t see anime t-shirts. I didn’t see comic book t-shirts (I saw one kid with a spiderman t-shirt). I didn’t see any “medieval” people. I was just thinking, “cool, a massive nerd front invading downtown Baltimore.” I hope they got around to some of the bars to shake things up a bit, but I somehow doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/6 "2004-07-30T13:34:30Z")
An Anime fest? That’s the lowest form of nerd social gatherings. Just behind a SOCA fest or a Ren fair 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jenny\_Haniver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jenny\_Haniver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenny_Haniver)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/7 "2004-07-30T13:52:13Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > An Anime fest? That’s the lowest form of nerd social gatherings. Just behind a SOCA fest or a Ren fair 😛 [Au contraire.](http://www.brunching.com/geekhierarchy.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/8 "2004-07-30T13:53:44Z")
Hey, now. We’ve all been there. Well, _I_ have, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jenny\_Haniver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jenny\_Haniver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenny_Haniver)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/9 "2004-07-30T13:54:13Z")
Smeg! Only the [unabridged](http://www.brunching.com/images/geekchartbig.gif) chart lists SCA and Ren Faire people. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/10 "2004-07-30T13:54:47Z")
One of my friends had a story about how he was trying to get to a gaming convention once but got lost. His friend told him that it was easy–just look for gamers. Sure enough, soon they spotted a fat guy in a Dave Matthews t-shirt sporting a Panama hot with a card stuck in the headband. They followed him and before they knew it–gaming convention. Sort of a hijack, but the OP reminded me of it. There are many different flavors of geeks… ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/11 "2004-07-30T14:05:38Z")
Oh yeah! I saw all the people while driving home as well, and thought that the freak quotient was a lot higher than normal. Then I checked my e-mail and saw that some of my friends had invited me to go with them. Sorry, but I’m just not that interested in any form of anime. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/12 "2004-07-30T14:09:37Z")
Aw, man. I coulda gone to Otakon. Blast. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/13 "2004-07-30T14:17:55Z")
I remember a few years back competing in this big Magic the Gathering tournament at some convention center in King of Prussia. Apparently, there was a Xena convention going on at the same time. I did not know whether to laugh or cry at the Magic geeks (yeah, I used to be one, but I showered dammit) trying to flirt with the Xena chicks, not quite understanding that they had no chance in hell to score (Xena fans tend to be a bit on the lesbian side ya see). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/14 "2004-07-30T14:27:09Z")
There’s a story in the SCA about somebody who was famous for getting lost. Michael the Lost, his name was. He set out to go to an event several hours’ drive away and got on the freeway going the wrong direction. He drove as far as he thought he was supposed to and followed the signs to the SCA event. In the wrong state. In a different kingdom. Different event entirely. We are everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/15 "2004-07-30T15:38:19Z")
Maybe there was [a band](http://www.the-nerds.com) playing. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/16 "2004-07-30T17:15:48Z")
You’re sure it wasn’t the delegates for one of the political conventions? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/17 "2004-07-30T18:08:20Z")
> [@Jenny Haniver](#): > > Smeg! Only the [unabridged](http://www.brunching.com/images/geekchartbig.gif) chart lists SCA and Ren Faire people. Huh. Well, thanks for telling me, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Cockatiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cockatiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cockatiel)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/18 "2004-07-30T22:46:41Z")
Argh! I’m going to Otakon tomorrow! I guess this means I have finally come to accept my nerdiness 😃 . Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/19 "2004-07-30T23:05:30Z")
> [@](#): > > An Anime fest? That’s the lowest form of nerd social gatherings. [Ahem.](http://www.furtherconfusion.org/fc2005/) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578/20 "2004-07-30T23:30:21Z")
> [@Kantalooppi](#): > > [Ahem.](http://www.furtherconfusion.org/fc2005/) Whoa. Truly, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ogre-neeerrrrdddssss-ogre/257578.md?page=2)