I did this talk at Linux-Bangalore 2004 and Freedel 2005. It's about being a geek. This is not a HOWTO.

1. being a geek
Philip Tellis / philip@bluesmoon.info
Yahoo!
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

2. Who am I?
Philip Tellis
philip@bluesmoon.info
@bluesmoon
yahoo
geek
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

3. How does one define a geek?
An obsession with books, studies, gadgets?
Wearing thick glasses?
Having no [social] life?
Speaking in large incomprehensible terms and not caring
about sport?
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

4. 2200 years ago, knowing only that at a particular place in
Egypt, on a particular day of the year, at noon, the sun cast no
shadow, Eratosthenes accurately calculated the circumference
of the Earth.
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

5. It’s about being curious
Why doesn’t it work?
Why does it work?
How does it work?
How do I break it?
How do I fix it again?
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

6. It’s about being curious about everything
Why doesn’t it work?
Why does it work?
How does it work?
How do I break it?
How do I fix it again?
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

7. It’s about being an explorer
Seek out unsolved problems
To boldly go where no one has gone before
Do something just because you can
Do something because someone said it can’t be done
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

8. And about Experimenting
Change small parts and observe differences in the whole
Tinkering can get really addictive
You learn more by doing than by reading
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

9. Not being afraid to break things
Geeks are like children
The thought of breaking a system doesn’t arise
Fear limits possibilities, geeks hate limits
This could be dangerous - Curiosity killed the geek
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

10. Geekdom isn’t limited to a domain
Physics, Math, Hi Tech, Comp Sci
Biology, Gaming
DIY
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

11. During the Atom bomb testing, Enrico Fermi accurately
calculated the intensity of the blast by throwing a few small
pieces of paper up into the air as the explosion took place and
measuring how far they fell.
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

12. Software Geeks
Need to be involved in every part of the system
Some geeks are hackers
Boredom and Drudgery are evil - unless it’s personal
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

13. So what about linux and FOSS?
That’s like the big prize you get for being geeky
Software geeks love to use FOSS
They can fix bugs that annoy them
The transition from user to developer comes naturally
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

14. Dispelling the myths
Geeks like to study
Not all geeks wear glasses. Some use lenses.
Geeks have great social lives, and very large social
networks
Geeks are active in sport like UT, Warcraft and Everquest
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

15. Why be a geek?
It’s exciting
Something’s always happening
What do you do when you get to 42?
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek

16. What are you waiting for?
Go be a geek.
Linux Bangalore 2004, Freedel 2005 being a geek