6 ms·

Now That Everyone Wants to Be a Geek, Lawyers Have Been Called

46 points by io 15y ago

wccrawford 15y ago
Someone the other day was commenting on the whole 'everyone wants to be a geek now' thing and wondering what to call true geeks now. I told him not to worry and that another word would soon be coined to make fun of the true geeks, as always happens. People just can't resist tormenting people who are different. I am a little surprised that it hasn't happened yet... But then, maybe I'm too old and not hip with the new slang. As for Best Buy suing everyone for using the words Geek or Squad (and every-so-graciously allowing high schoolers to continue calling their teams 'geek squads' (that's sarcasm)) it's obviously ridiculous. I understand protecting your brand, but when you name your brand so generically, you automatically lose a bit of it. Just deal with it.
- pavel_lishin 15y ago
  I'm holding out for when the "No True Geek" fallacy becomes a thing. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_True_Scotsman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_True_Scotsman)
  - sudont 15y ago
    Nerd chic is as dead as punk in 1990. Most social movements are commoditized by way of cultural signifiers, and when the cultural impact of those signifiers goes away, so does the soul of the movement. "Nerd" used to be about the intellectualism of it, the replacement of certain social interactions with an indie academic mindset. Now, "Nerd" is a marketing demographic, replete with physical identifiers: black plastic frames, object fetishism, a certain "look." P.S. Punk is still alive in Minneapolis and SoCal. It's just not popular, so the people who actually give a shit are active. However, the rejection of populism is cool, and "cool" attracts the populace.
    - hvs 15y ago
      It sounds like you are describing a "hipster" more than a "nerd", but maybe the two have become one in the same in some ways. That said, "true nerds" were never in it for the recognition as a "nerd" or as part of some "movement" they just were. And they will continue to be that way after the general populations has moved on to usurp some other image. They may not be called "nerds" but they won't care what they are called.
      - gaius 15y ago
        Call a hipster a hipster to their face, they really don't like it. It can't be used as a compliment as "geek" can. They are all too cool for their own subculture (or think they are).
- GrangalanJr 15y ago
  What distinguishes "true geeks" from the pretenders?
  - hvs 15y ago
    I think that if you are really passionate about something specific that makes you a geek, although I might add a qualifier that it generally has to be an intellectual pursuit. Most importantly, being a "geek" is not about an image, it's a way of looking at the world.
  - njharman 15y ago
    True geeks don't go around telling everyone they're a geek. That's all posers do. Geeks, it's just who they are. It's not a fad, or cool thing used get noticed. Geek is a personality type, you are born with it. It's not something you can buy at the store.
- rmc 15y ago
  Hacker. It's still a term that's viewed negatively by mainstream, so you're unlikely to see "Hacker Squad" signs.
  - hack_edu 15y ago
    But 'everyone' wants to be a hacker these days too. Read the top left corner of this website. We fought for a decade to redefine the word in the eyes of the public, and yet its quickly become defined as most any person interested in startup culture.
    - rmc 15y ago
      Loads of people want to be hackers, but that doesn't mean it's something Respectible Society would aspire to. Can you see a politican at a "Hacker Pride" event, or talking about how great hackers (not geeks, hackers) are?
    - metellus 15y ago
      The vast majority of people don't think "person interested in startup culture" when they hear the word hacker. In the eyes of the public, a hacker is someone who breaks into websites or writes viruses.
  - dkarl 15y ago
    Yeah, but it's a term that's used differently by the mainstream than by hackers, so you'd be constantly explaining yourself to avoid misperception. Constantly explaining what you mean is fatally geeky. It's better to use a word people don't know and only explain if they ask.
    - rmc 15y ago
      it's a term that's used differently by the mainstream than by hackers Exactly like "geek". It used to be an insult.
      - dkarl 15y ago
- elmomalmo 15y ago
  > Someone the other day was commenting on the whole 'everyone wants to be a geek now' thing and wondering what to call true geeks now. > I told him not to worry and that another word would soon be coined to make fun of the true geeks, as always happens. People just can't resist tormenting people who are different. > I am a little surprised that it hasn't happened yet... But then, maybe I'm too old and not hip with the new slang. I've heard/read the word 'neckbeard' used in this context.
- hugh3 15y ago
  Note that it's only cool to call yourself a geek if you're not in any danger of being mistaken for an actual geek. Hot guy/girl wearing glasses: cool. Overweight unkempt dude in a sweaty t-shirt: still not cool regardless of whether wearing glasses or not.
- pasbesoin 15y ago
  We already have a term for the antithesis: leet (733t or whatever). Perhaps, as often is the case, we'll end up defining ourselves at least partially in the negative. (Not cool, not leet... whatever.) "Hacker" seemed to serve partially, for a while, until it became synonymous with every online break-in in the mainstream press.
  - Shenglong 15y ago
    1337! I think 'hacker' has already reached that level of notoriety. Yet, many of us continue to use it. Because really, other than referencing each other, we never introduce ourselves by these titles. "Hello, my name is ____ and I'm a geek" is a little silly. On the other end, phrases like "I suppose so, for us hackers anyway" would most likely be addressed to to another hacker. For the community, I think, it's unlikely that outside sentiments will affect the terminology that much.
jinushaun 15y ago
Checked out the offending work. New Egg's Geek On logo bares absolutely zero resemblance to Best Buy's Geek Squad logo. Best Buy doesn't own everything "geek" and orange. Are Syracuse geeks next?
- chopsueyar 15y ago
  Apparently anyone wearing a blue polo shirt and khakis is off-limits, too.
- aridiculous 15y ago
  I was ready to softly defend Best Buy on this one until I saw the logo in question. It's just a poorly made logo that happens to use orange and black (because they're elsewhere on the site). This is clearly a case where the sharks are smelling blood. Good thing PG used the word "Hacker" instead of "Geek", otherwise HN would have been on the chopping block, too :)
chopsueyar 15y ago
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm 7. What constitutes tradenmark infringement? If a party owns the rights to a particular trademark, that party can sue subsequent parties for trademark infringement. 15 U.S.C. �� 1114, 1125. The standard is "likelihood of confusion." To be more specific, the use of a trademark in connection with the sale of a good constitutes infringement if it is likely to cause consumer confusion as to the source of those goods or as to the sponsorship or approval of such goods. In deciding whether consumers are likely to be confused, the courts will typically look to a number of factors, including: (1) the strength of the mark; (2) the proximity of the goods; (3) the similarity of the marks; (4) evidence of actual confusion; (5) the similarity of marketing channels used; (6) the degree of caution exercised by the typical purchaser; (7) the defendant's intent. They sued a priest!
- bhousel 15y ago
  They sued a priest driving around in a black Volkswagon Beetle with a God Squad logo that looks exactly like the Geek Squad logo. It may seem counter-intuitive, but Best Buy did the right and necessary thing to defend their trademark.
  - chopsueyar 15y ago
    I can't tell you how many times I accidentally called the God Squad to fix my computer, thinking it was in fact, the Geek Squad.
    - hugh3 15y ago
      Not the point. The point is that if they allow "God squad" to pass without comment, then they'll have to allow "Hot Dog Squad" as well. And then "Pho Squad" and "Grog Squad" will show up, followed by "Mop Squad" and "Pizza Squad" and "Gutter Cleaning Guy Squad". Pretty soon someone opens up a "Dork Squad" which is actually a Geek Squad competitor, but with the roads clogged with black and white and orange Beetles providing squad-themed services, there'll be enough precedent that it'll be impossible to defend. That's a somewhat exaggerated scenario, but it's essentially the logic behind these apparently overly sensitive trademark defense cases.
programminggeek 15y ago
Oh noes! I go by programming geek. Same name for my blog. I'm working on a side project called Answers Geek. It's only a matter of time I get sued for being a geek I guess.

46 points by io 15y ago

Someone the other day was commenting on the whole 'everyone wants to be a geek now' thing and wondering what to call true geeks now. I told him not to worry and that another word would soon be coined to make fun of the true geeks, as always happens. People just can't resist tormenting people who are different. I am a little surprised that it hasn't happened yet... But then, maybe I'm too old and not hip with the new slang. As for Best Buy suing everyone for using the words Geek or Squad (and every-so-graciously allowing high schoolers to continue calling their teams 'geek squads' (that's sarcasm)) it's obviously ridiculous. I understand protecting your brand, but when you name your brand so generically, you automatically lose a bit of it. Just deal with it.

pavel_lishin 15y ago
I'm holding out for when the "No True Geek" fallacy becomes a thing. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_True_Scotsman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_True_Scotsman)
- sudont 15y ago
  Nerd chic is as dead as punk in 1990. Most social movements are commoditized by way of cultural signifiers, and when the cultural impact of those signifiers goes away, so does the soul of the movement. "Nerd" used to be about the intellectualism of it, the replacement of certain social interactions with an indie academic mindset. Now, "Nerd" is a marketing demographic, replete with physical identifiers: black plastic frames, object fetishism, a certain "look." P.S. Punk is still alive in Minneapolis and SoCal. It's just not popular, so the people who actually give a shit are active. However, the rejection of populism is cool, and "cool" attracts the populace.
  - hvs 15y ago
    It sounds like you are describing a "hipster" more than a "nerd", but maybe the two have become one in the same in some ways. That said, "true nerds" were never in it for the recognition as a "nerd" or as part of some "movement" they just were. And they will continue to be that way after the general populations has moved on to usurp some other image. They may not be called "nerds" but they won't care what they are called.
    - gaius 15y ago
      Call a hipster a hipster to their face, they really don't like it. It can't be used as a compliment as "geek" can. They are all too cool for their own subculture (or think they are).
GrangalanJr 15y ago
What distinguishes "true geeks" from the pretenders?
- hvs 15y ago
  I think that if you are really passionate about something specific that makes you a geek, although I might add a qualifier that it generally has to be an intellectual pursuit. Most importantly, being a "geek" is not about an image, it's a way of looking at the world.
- njharman 15y ago
  True geeks don't go around telling everyone they're a geek. That's all posers do. Geeks, it's just who they are. It's not a fad, or cool thing used get noticed. Geek is a personality type, you are born with it. It's not something you can buy at the store.
rmc 15y ago
Hacker. It's still a term that's viewed negatively by mainstream, so you're unlikely to see "Hacker Squad" signs.
- hack_edu 15y ago
  But 'everyone' wants to be a hacker these days too. Read the top left corner of this website. We fought for a decade to redefine the word in the eyes of the public, and yet its quickly become defined as most any person interested in startup culture.
  - rmc 15y ago
    Loads of people want to be hackers, but that doesn't mean it's something Respectible Society would aspire to. Can you see a politican at a "Hacker Pride" event, or talking about how great hackers (not geeks, hackers) are?
  - metellus 15y ago
    The vast majority of people don't think "person interested in startup culture" when they hear the word hacker. In the eyes of the public, a hacker is someone who breaks into websites or writes viruses.
- dkarl 15y ago
  Yeah, but it's a term that's used differently by the mainstream than by hackers, so you'd be constantly explaining yourself to avoid misperception. Constantly explaining what you mean is fatally geeky. It's better to use a word people don't know and only explain if they ask.
  - rmc 15y ago
    it's a term that's used differently by the mainstream than by hackers Exactly like "geek". It used to be an insult.
    - dkarl 15y ago
elmomalmo 15y ago
> Someone the other day was commenting on the whole 'everyone wants to be a geek now' thing and wondering what to call true geeks now. > I told him not to worry and that another word would soon be coined to make fun of the true geeks, as always happens. People just can't resist tormenting people who are different. > I am a little surprised that it hasn't happened yet... But then, maybe I'm too old and not hip with the new slang. I've heard/read the word 'neckbeard' used in this context.
hugh3 15y ago
Note that it's only cool to call yourself a geek if you're not in any danger of being mistaken for an actual geek. Hot guy/girl wearing glasses: cool. Overweight unkempt dude in a sweaty t-shirt: still not cool regardless of whether wearing glasses or not.
pasbesoin 15y ago
We already have a term for the antithesis: leet (733t or whatever). Perhaps, as often is the case, we'll end up defining ourselves at least partially in the negative. (Not cool, not leet... whatever.) "Hacker" seemed to serve partially, for a while, until it became synonymous with every online break-in in the mainstream press.
- Shenglong 15y ago
  1337! I think 'hacker' has already reached that level of notoriety. Yet, many of us continue to use it. Because really, other than referencing each other, we never introduce ourselves by these titles. "Hello, my name is ____ and I'm a geek" is a little silly. On the other end, phrases like "I suppose so, for us hackers anyway" would most likely be addressed to to another hacker. For the community, I think, it's unlikely that outside sentiments will affect the terminology that much.

jinushaun 15y ago

Checked out the offending work. New Egg's Geek On logo bares absolutely zero resemblance to Best Buy's Geek Squad logo. Best Buy doesn't own everything "geek" and orange. Are Syracuse geeks next?

chopsueyar 15y ago
Apparently anyone wearing a blue polo shirt and khakis is off-limits, too.
aridiculous 15y ago
I was ready to softly defend Best Buy on this one until I saw the logo in question. It's just a poorly made logo that happens to use orange and black (because they're elsewhere on the site). This is clearly a case where the sharks are smelling blood. Good thing PG used the word "Hacker" instead of "Geek", otherwise HN would have been on the chopping block, too :)

chopsueyar 15y ago

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm 7. What constitutes tradenmark infringement? If a party owns the rights to a particular trademark, that party can sue subsequent parties for trademark infringement. 15 U.S.C. �� 1114, 1125. The standard is "likelihood of confusion." To be more specific, the use of a trademark in connection with the sale of a good constitutes infringement if it is likely to cause consumer confusion as to the source of those goods or as to the sponsorship or approval of such goods. In deciding whether consumers are likely to be confused, the courts will typically look to a number of factors, including: (1) the strength of the mark; (2) the proximity of the goods; (3) the similarity of the marks; (4) evidence of actual confusion; (5) the similarity of marketing channels used; (6) the degree of caution exercised by the typical purchaser; (7) the defendant's intent. They sued a priest!

bhousel 15y ago
They sued a priest driving around in a black Volkswagon Beetle with a God Squad logo that looks exactly like the Geek Squad logo. It may seem counter-intuitive, but Best Buy did the right and necessary thing to defend their trademark.
- chopsueyar 15y ago
  I can't tell you how many times I accidentally called the God Squad to fix my computer, thinking it was in fact, the Geek Squad.
  - hugh3 15y ago
    Not the point. The point is that if they allow "God squad" to pass without comment, then they'll have to allow "Hot Dog Squad" as well. And then "Pho Squad" and "Grog Squad" will show up, followed by "Mop Squad" and "Pizza Squad" and "Gutter Cleaning Guy Squad". Pretty soon someone opens up a "Dork Squad" which is actually a Geek Squad competitor, but with the roads clogged with black and white and orange Beetles providing squad-themed services, there'll be enough precedent that it'll be impossible to defend. That's a somewhat exaggerated scenario, but it's essentially the logic behind these apparently overly sensitive trademark defense cases.

programminggeek 15y ago

Oh noes! I go by programming geek. Same name for my blog. I'm working on a side project called Answers Geek. It's only a matter of time I get sued for being a geek I guess.