A lot of people are pretty good with computers, a lot of people are reassembly geeky but Iím about as good as they come. I mean there are people who have degreeís in Computer Science and Information Science/Technology who can do stuff that I canít, more because I donít have the training than because Iím incapable of the task. I can navigate my way through the internet and Iím always on top of new developments, anymore through circumstance and coincidence than through any active effort on my part. In addition to all of the mainstream sources that seem to have a direct wire into my brain, Iím very tuned into the human side of the internet, and have a lot of connections and helpful friends. The whole world really is at my finger tips. But being an A-list geek isnít all about the internet and being connected, itís also about being able to navigate local programs and possessing the ability to optimize your software so that it fits with my working style, rather than optimize my working style to fit with the software. Its also about being able to understand, even on the most fundamental level, how programming works, and the nuts and bolts of everything fits together, this isnít to say that you should be able to program or debug on your own, but you should be able to follow and exploit the kinds of logical process that programmers use. And you know what? I got it. I got it all.
I doubt a lot about myself. A whole lot. My ability to succeed academically, my writing, my completion, my indecisiveness, and so forth. I think Iím allowed one area where I can completely kick ass in, one area where I can say ìIím just as good if not better as anyone out there,î and feel good. Iím not being standoffish here, itís the truth.
But thereís a problem. I donít care. Itís not so great, knowing how to do all of these things is all well and good, but there comes a point where you have to step beyond the screen and make it into something more. Look at the big picture and see that computers are a tool to accomplish your goal. People forget that too often or at least the normal brand of geek hasnít moved beyond the ìcomputers are a toolî clause.
An example. Mobile Technology. The people who are really into mobile technology, or at least the ones who do really good with publishing about mobile tech are people who donít really use the tech, because they spend most of their day in front of big computers that do everything they need, and the truth of the matter is that they are thus unable to regularly put their units under the kinds of realistic tests that us normal people live with day in and day out. In this environment the geeks become people who have moved from using a technology because it helps them accomplish essential tasks to using a technology because ìitís the coolest most exciting new thing around and it can do all of these fancy things, dude!î
And it goes beyond that. It goes beyond one sector, one area. The problem is that the geeks are moving in directions and doing things and removing the purpose and point, and moving the whole realm of ëgeekynessí into an area that that has ceased to serve an end. And Iíve become disillusioned.
On a mostly unrelated note, I some how managed to break the display function for the comments on here, but posting comments should still work, even if you canít see them. In other news weíve decided to open a Notebook-type site but weíre still working on names. Another day or two. And that personal update is coming, and will probably come out in conjunction with the aux site.
And By the Way this is Entry Number 100. Between Quotes and Links and the Journal and all of the test entries I was forced to do to get the delay in positng to disapear, we’ve hit 100. Here’s to many more. Cheers.