Geek Code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:55, 1 February 2021

Revision as of 17:57, 9 May 2021

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==History==

The Geek Code was invented by Robert A. Hayden in 1993 and was defined at geekcode.com.<ref name="geekcode">[{{Cite web |url=http://www.geekcode.com/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=April 9, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228200740/http://www.geekcode.com/ |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> It was inspired by [[The Natural Bears Classification System|a similar code]] for the [[Bear (gay culture)|bear]] subculture - which in turn was inspired by the [[Yerkes spectral classification scheme|Yerkes spectral classification]] system for describing stars.<ref name="jargon"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2014/08/online_gay_culture_and_soc_motss_how_a_usenet_group_anticipated_how_we_use.2.html|title=The First Gay Space on the Internet|publisher=[[Slate.com]]}}</ref><ref>Unlike the Geek Code, the Yerkes system uses classes, subclasses and peculiarities for categorization. These systems differ in their [[orthogonality]]: the Geek Code is very [[Orthogonal (computing)|orthogonal in the computer science sense]] (where variables may be [[Projection (linear algebra)|projected]] onto [[basis vectors]]), where the Yerkes system is very [[Orthogonality#Taxonomy|orthogonal in the taxonomic sense]] (representing mutually exclusive [[class (computer science)|classes]]).</ref>

In some parts of the net, it was once common practice to use a geek code as one's email or Usenet [[signature block|signature]]. One of the consequences of being so old in such a fast-moving field is that much of the geek code now looks rather dated, with the [[World Wide Web]] being described as "relatively new and little understood".

After a number of updates, the last revision of the code was v3.12, in 1996.<ref>

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===Occupation===

The code starts with the letter <code>G</code> (for Geek) followed by the geek's occupation(s): <code>GMU</code> for a geek of [[music]], <code>GCS</code> for a geek of computer science etc. There are 28 occupations that can be represented, but <code>GAT</code> is for geeks that can do anything and everything - and "usually precludes the use of other vocational descriptors".<ref name="geekcode"/>

For geeks with multiple occupations, a slash or slashes are used: <code>GMD/TW</code>, for instance, for a geek of medicine and technical writing.

===Categories===

The Geek Code website contains the complete list of categories, along with all of the special syntax options.<ref>{{cite web|author=Robert Hayden |url=http://www.geekcode.com/ |title=geekcode.com |publisher=geekcode.com |access-date=March 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228200740/http://www.geekcode.com/ |archive-date=February 28, 2009}}</ref> The choice of categories (from version 3 onward) reflects what geeks consider important. Categories include appearance, computers, computer-related politics, general politics, computer-related interests, other interests, and lifestyle and [[sexual intercourse|sex]].

There are a number of categories in Geek Code, each represented by a letter. For example, the lower-case letter <code>t</code> represents ''[[Star Trek]]''. The Geek Code's author has this to say about ''Star Trek'':

:"Most geeks have an undeniable love for the ''Star Trek'' television show. Because geek is often synonymous with [[trekkie]], it is important that all geeks list their ''Trek'' rating."

Meanwhile, the lower-case letter <code>r</code> represents [[personal relationship|relationship]]s. Geeks are less associated with relationships than they are with ''Star Trek'', and the Geek Code says this about them:

:"While many geeks are highly successful at having relationships, a good many more are not. Give us the gritty details."

The Geek Code website contains the complete list of categories, along with all of the special syntax options.<ref>{{cite web|author=Robert Hayden |url=http://www.geekcode.com/ |title=geekcode.com |publisher=geekcode.com |access-date=March 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228200740/http://www.geekcode.com/ |archive-date=February 28, 2009}}</ref> The choice of categories (from version 3 onward) reflects what geeks consider important. Categories include appearance, computers, computer-related politics, general politics, computer-related interests, other interests, and lifestyle and [[sexual intercourse|sex]].

===Category-specific modifiers===

Although some categories have special syntax, generally each category is followed by a series of <code>+</code> or <code>-</code> signs showing how much the geek agrees or disagrees with the category. For example, <code>t+++</code> indicates a geek who thinks this about Star Trek:

:"I know all about [[warp drive (Star Trek)|warp field dynamics]] and the principles behind the [[transporter (Star Trek)|transporter]]. I have memorized the TECH manual. I speak [[Klingon language|Klingon]]. I go to [[Star Trek convention|cons]] with [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] ears on."

On the other hand, someone who puts <code>r---</code> in their geek code feels the following way about relationships:

:"I'm beginning to think that I'm a leper or something, the way people avoid me like the plague."

===Modifiers===

The meaning of each category can be changed in subtle or not-so-subtle ways using [[punctuation]] marks as modifiers. For example, an <code>@</code> after a category means that the geek's feelings on this category are not very rigid and can change with time, while a [[dollar]] sign implies the geek is in the enviable position of being paid for their work in this category. A [[greater-than sign]] indicates a "wannabe" rating and means that the person is at a rating indicated before the sign, but wants to reach the one after the sign. A rating in [[Bracket|parentheses]] indicates instability, as does the <code>@</code>, but indicates a specific range rather that the entire rating. The [[asterisk]] modifier exists for some categories, expressing a category-dependent "off-the-charts" value: for example, <code>R*</code> is described as "I thought life WAS role-playing?".

==Decoding==

There have been several '"decoders" produced to transform a specific geek code into English, including:

* Pete Williams' Perl program ''ungeek.pl''.

* [[Bradley M. Kuhn]], in late 1998, made Williams' program available as a web service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebb.org/ungeek |title=The Geek Code Decoder Page |publisher=Ebb.org |access-date=March 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301204113/http://www.ebb.org/ungeek/ |archive-date=March 1, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>The site first appears in the Internet Archive on December 7, 1998 ({{cite web

|author-link=http://www.archive.org/web/web.php