Geek

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Computer freak , in the computer context for short freak , geek or nerd , also called chippie in Germany at the end of the 1980s , is a colloquial term for a computer enthusiast who has above-average knowledge of computers or in the field of computer science as well as qualities such as high intelligence, sometimes also social Withdrawn or solitary .

The original usage was often used derogatory in the sense of Computerheini and, in the 1980s, jokingly referred to someone who constantly sits in front of the computer and thus finds himself in social isolation.

The modern term for computer freak is (computer) nerd , although this term is considered a compliment in computer circles. Viewed positively, a nerd is an individualist, viewed negatively, a quirky loner who has three characteristics in common with other nerds: social networking at the click of a mouse, irony and intelligence. As a particularly pronounced form of the computer freak, the nerd includes the cliché of a loner who only leaves the house with a confessor T-shirt and Jesus slippers, mostly acts alone, rarely within isolated groups, and does not value the opinion of noobs .

The term (computer) geek is used in a similar manner . According to the cliché, geeks organize themselves in groups, follow a group-specific code of honor and use their own coded language among each other, which is difficult for the uninitiated to understand. An example of such communication is the use of the geek code .

Computer enthusiasts with an affinity for hacker culture like to call themselves nerd or geek, but that doesn't mean that all computer nerds and geeks are hackers .

See also

Web links

Wiktionary: Computer freak  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Haller: "Dream of the perfect slave" , in: Der Spiegel , March 16, 1987, pp. 106–123.
  2. ↑ a b c 3sat “What you should know about nerds!” / October 4, 2007 ( Memento from April 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ sueddeutsche.de "Nerd - the unknown being" / November 28, 2007 ( Memento from May 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Hacker FAQ for Managers