It is amusing some days to see the expression on a person’s face when I show up at their door for a on-site computer service call. Many times, these same people say “You don’t look like a geek” and to this I simply respond Thank You! I did not attend hundreds of hours in training along with the thousands of hours I have on the job to report to work wearing a name badge. I am a trained, professional and certified IT Technician, in simple terms I work on computers, notebooks and other items that fall under the class of information technology. It makes me feel good upon meeting a client for the first time that they do not see me as a geek.
It amazes me further to see so many companies today referring to their employees as a geek and then even push it further to require them to play dress up as part of an advertising gimmick. These people may as well have a job standing on a corner holding a sign and waving at cars. When it comes down to it folks, do you really want a geek working on your computer? Would you not feel better knowing that you have a qualified IT Technician troubleshooting your computer problems? Of course you would. This is not a trick question and the correct answer should have flashed in your mind before you even finished reading the sentence. I need to make it clear that this article is not aimed at any one person that may be or may have been employed as a geek. Furthermore, this article’s primary purpose is to educate the consumer while the possible danger of humour with even a chuckle or two. With that said, let’s proceed with a look into the world of the geek?
First off, let’s start with the definition of a geek. To be fair, I will use several different sources that define the English language as well as one that defines urban and slang versions of the same.
1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked
3 : an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity”
There are those that will argue that the only true dictionary of the English language is the Oxford. So, for my friends across the oceans here is the definition of Geek from the Oxford:
“• noun informal, chiefly N. Amer. 1 an unfashionable or socially inept person. 2 an obsessive enthusiast.
— DERIVATIVES geeky adjective.
— ORIGIN from the related English dialect word geck ‘fool’.”
Now as promised, we take a look at how the Urban Dictionary defines being a Geek:
“The term “geek” originally referred to the carnival performers whose act consisted of biting the heads off chickens and eating glass. Over time it came to be applied to anyone who got paid to do work considered odd or bizarre by mainstream society.
The term now enjoys a special status within the technical community, particularly among particularly knowledgeable computer programmers. To identify oneself as a “geek” indicates a recognition that most people still consider programming computers to be a bizarre act, along with a certain fierce satisfaction in being very good at their inglorious profession.
That most software geeks now easily earn twice as much as the average laborer just sweetens their defiant embrace of the term.
Note: Unlike the word “nerd,” which is always pejorative, “geek” often carries a positive connotation when used by one of the group. The use of the term by outsiders is considered insulting.”
Given all of the previous, I am sure you can understand why I prefer not to be referred to as a geek. I remain proud of the fact that time after time I am told that I do not look like a geek. Still, one has to wonder why there are so many companies that use this word in their name! I can not begin to list them all, but just naming a few with the most famous first: Geek Squad, Geeks To Go, Geeks On Call, Rent A Geek, Geeks Orlando and Geeks R Us. Soon all of the geeky names were gone and companies moved down to the lower level of desciptives using Guru and Nerd.
Another interesting fact is the amount of negative feedback toward the most popular of the geek business name, yet accordingly the money continues to roll in for the Geek Squad. I do not promote my business by jabbing others, however in this case the sources are unlimited and again I will point out that this is to educate the consumer.
Now in all fairness this is not the only video out there. It is just one that I randomly picked out of the may. Notice that most of the computer repair companies that they speak of have the word “geek” in their business name. Do you need a geek? Do you really want a geek working on your computer? I am not just picking on the squad here, I am in amazement of the multitudes of businesses that use the title or refer to their employees as a geek, nerd or guru. Once more, there are articles on web sites such as the rip off report where an ex-geek (is that a word?) tells that his role was to be a salesman first and admittedly only knew how to repair a computer by watching what the other geeks were doing.
Another point is that even to do these investigative reports, they had to lug this computer from shop to shop. This is how I created the slogan “pick up your phone, not your computer” tm. Why unplug your computer , load it in the car and drive half way around town to get your computer repaired? Having Mike’s PC Support come to your home or business to do the repairs just makes good cents. You save time and money, quite frankly you save money. We all know time is money. Next time you are in need of computer repair, don’t put yourself at the mercy of any of the geek stores. Look for a qualified and certified computer repair technician. Don’t pay unreasonable fees to companies that pay large advertising fees to be labeled as a geek, you don’t need a geek to get in home computer repair.
Now a quick look at the humorous side of the word geek
Call Mike at 321-652-5630 to speak to a IT professional.