Comment on The candid naivety of geeks
themeatbridge@lemmy.world 2 weeks agoCalling Alexa users “geeks” is like calling McDonald’s diners “foodies.” Like, it might be true, but all current evidence to the contrary.
Comment on The candid naivety of geeks
themeatbridge@lemmy.world 2 weeks agoCalling Alexa users “geeks” is like calling McDonald’s diners “foodies.” Like, it might be true, but all current evidence to the contrary.
grrgyle@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
Geek has always just meant an enthusiast or connoisseur of some topic. But anyone who remembers the cultural cachet of “ThinkGeek” et al in the 00s will recall how the term became synonymous with a consumerist obsessing tech gewgaws, and other “brainy kid” toys. Like being a gearhead, but about nothing in particular - just the toys.
Anyway, that association has forever stuck in my head, and probably many others’.
themeatbridge@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I mean, if we’re being pedantic, geek was a term for a specific circus performer who would eat gross things and hammer nails into their faces. Anything to gross out the audience. The term expanded to mean “weirdo” over time, and became associated with the term “nerd.” It has further evolved with the popularity of the phrase “geek out” to mean someone with strong enthusiasm for a specific topic. That’s the most recent popular definition of the word.
Either way, any legitimate “geek” would already know that they shouldn’t expect Alexa to respect their data privacy.
grrgyle@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
I suppose I walked into that one with my phrasing…