“The meaning of the word “geek” has evolved considerably since
its original definition: a carnival performer who bit the heads off
live chickens and snakes. The term still has a derogatory
connotation, describing a goofy, techno-gadget fanatic. But that
may be changing too.”
“With the rise of information technology in the business world,
technophiles have ascended in stature as well. Many now wear the
badge of geekdom with honor. Long subject to outsider status, geeks
are finally coming into their own. Madison Avenue has caught on to
the geek craze. Print ads and commercials now commonly spotlight
geeks. … With the virtual explosion of new technology jobs, it
seems no one can afford not to have a geek or two in their world.
“
“There’s a streak of alienation running through this culture,”
said Jon Katz, who has written about the Internet for Rolling
Stone, Wired and Slashdot.org. “There’s a streak of braininess,
obsessiveness. I mean, anybody can use a computer, but not
anybody’s a geek. I think the new reality that’s converging all
this is, you have on the one end this culture of
extraordinarily gifted outsiders who have patched together the
Internet. And then there’s the rest of the world — business,
education and politics — that suddenly has woken up to the fact
that they desperately need the Internet. It’s very important.
And so they become sort of central while still not being in the
mainstream.”