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Geeks are not really anti-social

Posted on June 11th, 2007 by eclair.
Categories: opinions.

Maybe selective is more like it.

If geeks are really anti-social, how could you explain Linux Users’ Groups, MUDs, programming language users’ groups, and so on? Isn’t that being social?

The stereotype that geeks are anti-social is bleh if you ask me, especially when you think about that. And geeks do go out drinking, dancing, enjoying themselves in concerts, among others. It’s probably not always the stereotypical way of enjoying the events but still, geeks do that too. And it’s not necessarily as frequent as stereotypical party animals but I do know geeks who would be considered the life of the parties they go to.

Ah, stereotypes.

2 comments.

The Girl’s Guide to Gamers (1/?)

Posted on February 14th, 2007 by ephemere.
Categories: opinions, games, ideas.

Valentine’s day special!

Heh, not really. This piece has been on my mind for quite a while now, especially since (a) I’m both a girl and a gamer; and (b) I’m involved with a gamer. Truth be told, if one were to trust gamer lore, gamer girl + gamer guy = ideal combination, but we all know that’s just wishful thinking.

Thus, this series (? hopefully I manage to follow through with it!). I’m starting it in a very informal way, but may turn it into an article or something more readable someday. Bear in mind that a lot of things here apply to geeks in general, not just gamers, and can be generalized to… well, just about anyone, whether you’re a gamer or a girl or just something starting with g. Just pick and choose whatever you feel applies.

(more…)

2 comments.

Perfectionist

Posted on December 8th, 2006 by kyels.
Categories: everything else, opinions.

It just crossed my mind that I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my work and I’m really, really picky especially when I am dealing with my assignments in University or when I’m doing something else. For the past few months, I’ve been under a lot of stress and pressure because of my Algorithm and Data Structures assignment and also my Database Systems worksheet. Also the thesis that I was required to write for my Marketing classes, Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning.

I could barely breathe when it came to my Computer Science assignments because there were just so many ways for you to do it and it was vague, that sometimes I feel that I may have programmed wrongly. However, I had some space for the Marketing thesis as it was a group work and this time, I had a responsible group, in which I think I was lucky as I had been in really terrible groups when I was in First Year.

Maybe by being a perfectionist is not a good idea as it causes a lot of stress and pressure within oneself and albeit I try to mellow down, it does not seem to work. It’s all in the mind, they say but it is not easy to change a person in a fortnight as well, right?

So, I was just wondering, are you are perfectionist when it comes to your work or anything in general that you do?

6 comments.

Groupmeme 1: One book that…

Posted on November 27th, 2006 by ephemere.
Categories: opinions, ink & paper.

Encouraged by inkstone’s post regarding books, I thought it would be nice to do this again (some of you may have seen this and answered it already, but it’s a nice meme so… ;p). Post your answers in the comments. You don’t have to answer with just one book.

One book that changed your life:

One book that made you laugh:

One book you have read more than once:

One book you would want on a desert island:

One book that made you cry:

One book you wish had been written:

One book you wish had never been written:

One book you are currently reading:

One book you have been meaning to read:

Some links to previous booklist posts: Strange Joys 1, 2, 3. Please add yours~

4 comments.

Blood, bonds, and bartered sisters

Posted on November 24th, 2006 by Zarathustra.
Categories: philosophy, opinions, art & music, ideas.

Where to begin?

I’ve never fancied myself a very good writer - maybe a halfway-decent one at most. Yet I can’t figure out why I get so livid when given advice on how to write (usually by those who are far more experienced than I am at writing).
“Just write down whatever pops in your head first.”
“Think about the interesting things that happened during the day.”
“Write about what you feel most passionate about.”

As much as the above helps a writer, I can’t help but believe that it represses the need of every writer to first struggle with him/herself. I’ve always thought the path to good writing, whether it be intended to sell books, to establish a solid career, or even to revolutionize a genre is always a path that cannot, should not be seen in its entirety right away - or even at all. Writing is an art, yes, and at times it can be a business… but it it also a way of seeing the world, of looking at it and applying our unique understanding into all its aspects. This is not to say that a writer must be an intellectual, but that a writer must have an intelligible grasp of how words, ideas, concepts, and language can effectively change the world.

Some of my philosophy teachers would probably wring my neck if they read this, but I cannot see how there can be “purity” in knowing with a knower that is defined, redefined, and created in some way every single second by the world around. Existence and experience are inherently linked, and however we understand either of these terms depends on how either of these terms affect our understanding - a true circle, but one we cannot go beyond.

In theory it seems sound.
But it fails to take into account one aspect of human living - and there have been so many discussions of this kind before - that I don’t think falls into the existence we believe to be all-encompassing: imagination. Imagination is what allows us to “transcend” our own existence. Imagination is what allows us to dream of impossibilities. Imagination is what brings forth that indefinable aspect of the human being that pushes and nudges and breaks free of all accepted truths. If Magellan had no imagination, would he have gone on that remarkable journey to the “edge of the world”? If scientists had no imagination, would they really accomplish anything more than what is already established? And in the context of this blog, would we be free to write down whatever we wanted, whatever “pops in our head first” or whatever “interesting thing happened during the day” or whatever we “feel most passionate about”?

NO. And in that emphatic negative is a strength that is built upon this conviction: writing is a struggle against, to. Whether you write to struggle against yourself, an institution, and idea, or struggle to be heard, to go beyond norms, to feel good, to inform… the essence of writing is this effort to unleash your imagination upon all creation. Writing is a will to struggle internally and to the external.
So the next time some one sees me spending three agonizing hours to simply write the first sentence of a story/essay/case/file/article, realize that I’m going through the best part of writing and do not wished to be interrupted. Life is not life without its joyful agonies.

And that is where I will begin. Man, that took some effort to type out, coherent or not. Such a chore, such a chore…
Random thoughts (hence the title): Admittedly I was only convinced to blog by my sister (yes, she is up for bartering if anyone’s interested) who believes that by giving me an outlet to vent my thoughts, she is saving herself the trouble of having to listen to my strangeness day by day. Unfortunately for her there is more than enough “junk” in this “trunk” to satisfy the younger sibling’s daily urge to pester, irritate, annoy, and exasperate the elder. No bond is stronger than that which has been built upon a lifetime of suffering. Glad to see you’re still around after 20 sis, here’s to hoping you never decide to apply for a gun license. I don’t know who you’d shoot first: you or me.

EDIT1: Agh forgot the stupid tags.

9 comments.