Geeks, Nerds and Aspies + – = ? post1

It’s been so long I wrote on this blog. I finally today get to re-read the draft for this post and realize how much my thoughts have been scattered about this subject. And it’s been all over the place simply because I have been hearing the word “geek” and “nerd” being use for so many different purposes, It got me a polluted head. Not being able to nail down my words, they are changing so fast, blocked me from writing this post! Ha! Thanks to my friend Gina, that ounce told me we are only too perfectionist, I decide to slack my demanding level of adequacy, start writing and forgive myself  for having only an INTRO to the subject… Here I go.

THE WORD GEEK

The last 10 years are crown years for the word GEEK since it has entered castle of the cool pop culture. There is much to say about the changes in history and the etymological meaning for only that words, nonetheless all the other synonyms, it will need more than one post for shure.

As I live with and is a mom of an Aspie, I observe my own son relate to his identity and to the tags. He has been tagged being a nerd and in the last years, he has been tagged an Aspie also. This year, he changed school and decided to not tell his fellow friends about any of his diagnosis to let himself have a new identity. What grew right from the start was the geek part of him and he become more and more proud about his difference being one relating to science and knowledgeable in the techno world. and there I was noticing is self-esteem rise.

There’s more to his changes then only this terminology switch since I also see links to proudness and self-esteem. There is a social shift that happen with the rise of computer land.  An article from Wired magazine also got me thinking about the relations between Aspergers, Geeks and technologies. I invite you to read it. Titled THE GEEK SYNDROME.

Socially, that word has grown in meanings from being weak to smart, out to  hype, reject to famous. If you look up the definition from Wikipedia :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek You see the formal growth and the many branches, starting with a re-appropriation in a proud way from those who has been called and – laugh at – a geek from others.

Re-appropriation is always a powerful action and a realization you can yourself tag and manipulate that signification of the tag itself. So a young boy could have been a “reject” at preschool and then in highschool performing great marks and becoming the guy who helps is fellow friends. If before he sobbed about being called a nerd, he nows gets his chin back up by saying…. “that’s right! I am a nerd, but a nerd is also a geek! and…. proud to be!”

There is also more to the question of “+ – =? ” being observed with kids calling themself geeks left and right and wearing glasses that use to make nerds be so rejected….What happen? As often, history helps us to give back to Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser. And in this geek, nerd, computer ruling world, Ceaser is called Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and some other now famous personalities.

So there is a social link to be made with the new venues of technologies, having an effect on the everyday life of common population. And not just socially, family too. Relations to members of family that could have been rejected before now become heroes since they can understand the computers. Generale population started to NEED a nerd. A geek. Or an Aspie…

The idea I want to introduce connects to a few other ideas and I promise to post on this subject again. Since Bill Gates was diagnosed Asperger, but he doesn’t relate in an” identity way” to it. Since he was responsible for making computer enter our homes. And since many Aspies out there were not -for many years- diagnosed and were labelled nerds… more connections are to be made between Geeks, Nerds and Aspies.

…Notice how theses different lists have some of the same names?

Famous Aspergers, Famous Nerds, Noteworthy people on the autism spectrum, 26 Geek Heroes

THIS IS NOT A CONCLUSION ( …more post to come…)

… since nerds kids have been so many times beat up in school court. For the sake of the healing and the swing back of justice, and like my friend Stephane said to me this morning: ” Geeks and Nerds can be Kings and Queens for a few eras…they have been suffering for the opposite for so many years! …let them rule for a bit.” And that’s exactly what’s happening…

Great readings for more exchanges on the subject: Geek culture- The 3rd Counter-Culture

-TO BE CONTINUED-