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Geek Culture / 10 good reasons for YOU to become an Indie Game Designer

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Wolf
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Posted: 5th Sep 2011 23:54
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Hi!

Yes! This is another one of these annoying threads where I rant. And it doesn't have any pictures, sorry

We are all independent game designers, professionals or just interested in the material around here. So you don't see the point of me making a list why to do it? Well...in fact, I had the idea while taking a shower (I usually get a new game idea I can't do because I'm stuck with a boring test project...but this time it was this) and I don't have anything better to do at the moment. Well...I do... french paperwork I should have done 3 days ago...but who wants to do that?

So lets get this started

Number 10

It gets yourself stuff to do! Seriously!
I'm doing this since years and its hard to think what I would do if I wouldn't do it. I visit these forums daily when I'm home and I'm working on my game all three days or at least once a week. However, I never have these moments where I don't know what to do with myself. As a hobby game developer, you always have something to do...you are never bored.
No other hobby has so many aspects. Think about a rainy wednesday afternoon. What would I do if I wouldn't have this hobby?
Think about all the stuff you can do...even away from your computer:

Painting/drawing for your project
composing music
reading about the material
driving to a castle/interesting place to get textures ( I have this on my plan for next week, folks )
recording sounds

Occasional Boredom good bye

Number 9

Its educational. Thats true... I get lost on wikipedia sites from time to time just researching historical facts or the like. Folks! I know more about the southpole than my hown hometown thanks to my hobby. It taught me english aswell These forums did

Number 8

It teaches you new abilitys. Okay, you can argue now that this would fit in the "number 9" section. But I have to come up with 10 points and its my list, so cheese it!

You can start with basic knowledge you overheard somewhere and end up being a master-coder/artist/writer/musician. There is a lot of space to improve and you really learn how to use complex software such as 3D modeling tools simply by following the many tutorials and with the community support. Some of this knowledge about software might even help you at your job. For example: If you can use a 3D modeling software, you know the basics of CAD software, and if you are suddenly in need to learn this for your job, you already master the basics.

Number 7

You can impress your friends. Isn't that always a great feeling?
I really (and this is no joke) didn't tell anyone about my hobby. They all knew that I paint and do some drawing, but none of them knew that I make videogames. Well...I recently told them and, to my surprise, everyone concidered it to be awesome and they where suggesting me a lot of ideas. One of them tried it for himself, but he started with blender...not a very good program for a first start
Just don't tell your first date in how many languages you can code. I'm just kidding, all I can code is hello world in C++ and a floating cube in Dark Basic Pro.

Number 6

Make Money. If you have a great idea that can be sold and realised. Do it! Minecraft comes to mind. Man! That fella certainly earned his money on those bricks, eh? Too bad YOU didn't come up with that idea, didn't you?

Number 5

Meet interesting people. One of the benefits of the hobby is that you get involved with a lot of interesting people all over the world. In what other hobby can you meet arabs, australians, asians, africans, southamericans, north europeans, russians, aliens etc. and have a chat with them?
Its really nice and you can learn a lot about foreign cultures.
And don't we all just love to chat about our little projects?

Number 4

Tell a story. Videogame is a powerful medium to tell a dynamic and interactive story visually. I for one always told horror storys. Don't get me wrong, I'm a really positive guy, but I have a thing for that. As a kid, I was able to scare all the other kids out of their minds at night on school trips
But I also write...and I KNOW that a lot of fellas out there just love to tell storys. Here is your best way to do it right after writing.

Number 3

Become a professional. This is a steb I don't want to take, but for a lot of artists and coders in the industry, the first step was a simple 2d game or a mod. Entire studios started as indies...such as frictional games. And we all know that small studios brought us great games. Lets look at some:

Outcast
The chronicles of riddick, the escape from butcher bay
Amnesia

If you want to get into the videogame industry: messing around with indie tools and getting used to it might be your best start

Number 2

Have fun. I often have a great time messing around with my stuff... be it retexturing some box or making a large level in UDK with a lot of water flowing everywhere (I really like water in UDK...its great).
Thats the main reason for me to do it...its fun! You should try it.

Number 1


Be creative. There is nothing where you can combine so much creativity in one medium. Nothing! Amateur movie making comes to mind, but come on...its hard to compare both mediums. I think both is great! However... as I mentioned above: for a gameproject, you can paint, print, draw, compose and write a lot...and the ensemble makes an awesome project. You don't even need to be great at it.
To be recognised as a hobby musician or artist...well, tough call. But if you forge it all together to a game... the final product will have a lot of soul and might just connect with people.
Think about Final Fantasy 7. Love it or hate it, but the game connected with people because gameplay, story, characters, soundtrack and art combined made a unique and remarkable gaming experience that is still concidered to be great. Even though that thing is from 1997.

*************************

So that was a bunch of text. Feel free to collect the typos and make a lovely necklace of them. I'm sure it would look great on you

So, any toughts about this?



-Wolf

I make serious coffee - so strong it wakes up the neighbors.
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old_School
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 00:08 Edited at: 6th Sep 2011 00:09
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I like money

Edit:
I can count my reasons; 1 ben, 2 ben, 3 ben...
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Wolf
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 00:15
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Ben = benefits?

I make serious coffee - so strong it wakes up the neighbors.
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Oolite
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 00:45
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Interesting read, the reasons I am doing it in are;

1.It's what I want to do.
That's right, i've wanted to do it as a career for a long time and right now it's the only way I'm going to get my name out there in the short term. This indie game business is also a brilliant way of bulking out my portfolio.
2. I enjoy it.
It's bloody good fun, late nights and caffeine overdose included.
3. Money is a nice.
Money is very nice but there is a bit of risk involved with spreading the word, it doesn't really matter how good your game is if noone is talking about it(or you have a nice fat budget set aside for advertising).
4. It's hard.
It is hard to do everything that is required inside a game and I love the challenge, research and design are two of my favourite parts of games design but I also love the challenge that comes with problem solving during development.
5. There was a number five but I went to the loo and forgot what it was...
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lazerus
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 03:00
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Quote: "I like money

Edit:
I can count my reasons; 1 ben, 2 ben, 3 ben... "

Ben franklin is on the $100 bill.


http://lazerus-reborn.deviantart.com/
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 03:09
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Quote: "No other hobby has so many aspects. Think about a rainy wednesday afternoon. What would I do if I wouldn't have this hobby? "


Read a book? Play a video game? Watch day time TV?


However, I agree it's a great hobby, I've had periods away from it - mostly as I was going through University, though I used Dark Basic Pro for one of my second year projects to create a text adventure and that was pretty cool even though I had to do the final version in HTML just to be on the safe side. I still have the DBP version (and source code) on a USB somewhere.

Also, I think it's good for the brain, I don't mean in the educational sense (because that's number 8 and 9) but as you've got a lot of problem solving to do and in programming you're keeping your brain activity. Some people like brain training, other people like to solve a good sudoku puzzle, but I spend time figuring out why my code isn't behaving itself. Granted, I have no completed projects, but I still very much enjoy the process of it all.

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Rampage
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 09:30
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Quote: "Just don't tell your first date in how many languages you can code. "

This is the mistake I made. Well at the time I thought it was a mistake.
Telling a well outta my league girl this the first night we went out. Now she is my commercial director who has gotten me investment and lots of opportunities.
She was impressed. Which is what is starting to make me successful.



Weird, unexpected stuff happens in life.

ANYWAY. Being indie can be awesome and suck at the same time. Having a lack of resources and money was something that has always bugged me.

Regards,

Max
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Wolf
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 20:10
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Quote: "Ben franklin is on the $100 bill."


Americans...

Quote: "Also, I think it's good for the brain, I don't mean in the educational sense (because that's number 8 and 9) but as you've got a lot of problem solving to do and in programming you're keeping your brain activity. Some people like brain training, other people like to solve a good sudoku puzzle, but I spend time figuring out why my code isn't behaving itself. Granted, I have no completed projects, but I still very much enjoy the process of it all."


And this! Yes

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Quik
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 21:12
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Quote: "Just don't tell your first date in how many languages you can code."


i know many girls who would be impressed and would appreciate that^^

and for the record, I am a man.

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RedneckRambo
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 21:35
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Quote: "i know many girls who would be impressed and would appreciate that^^"

I think it's safe to say that you may be the only one then.

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swissolo
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 22:59
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Quote: "i know many girls who would be impressed and would appreciate that^^"

Quote: "I think it's safe to say that you may be the only one then."

Huh? No lots of people would appriciate that...

swis
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Dark Frager
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 23:17
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Quote: "Huh? No lots of people would appriciate that..."


Oh yeah? Try saying "C++" or "Visual Basic" in my school. First you will get a "What the heck are you talking about?" then you get a "GEEK/NERD"

My plan for today: 1. Wake up. 2. Live 3. Go to sleep.

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Quik
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 23:21
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Quote: "I think it's safe to say that you may be the only one then."

I suppose youre one of those "female nerds no exist!" guys?

and for the record, I am a man.

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heyufool1
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 23:25
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Quote: "[quote]I think it's safe to say that you may be the only one then."

I suppose youre one of those "female nerds no exist!" guys?[/quote]
No argument after this.

"So hold your head up high and know. It's not the end of the road"
Switch Game Engine
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Doomster
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 23:37 Edited at: 6th Sep 2011 23:42
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"I’ve seen this picture before. Incidentally, the one on the right is female and the one on the left is male."

But cosplaying isn't exactly the same / comparable to geeky girls that like to talk about programming and that jazz.

However, I'm not one of those that even wants to talk about the nerdy hobbies with his friends, neither male or female, anyway - once I leave the computer desk I'll just switch off the nerdyness... if I wouldn't do that, I'm afraid that I'd end up as an evil scientist that plans to takeover the world, or something.

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Wolf
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Posted: 6th Sep 2011 23:52 Edited at: 7th Sep 2011 00:29
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Quote: ""female nerds no exist!" guys?"


Okay...I know some girls that like geeky stuff... but folks, I would never want to be committed to a geeky girl.

I even used to make fun of geeks back at school (oh boy...I'm going to get crucified now) and I must say that it really is a male area.
Kinda like the army...we have girls there but most soldiers are dudes.

Now if you are a total geek and you have a geeky girlfriend...the better for you. (But what sane person would honestly want that...?) ... Don't get me wrong...I love female history geeks, literature geeks, music geeks...but a female computer geek? THE HORROR! She could look like Kate Beckinsale I wouldn't want her.
Its like when you are at a party and the folks start talking about their phones or computer... I would love to slam that thing right up their.
Okay...bottomline: Keep your toys at home.
E-Mail me if you want a pizzaroll


-Wolf

I make serious coffee - so strong it wakes up the neighbors.
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RedneckRambo
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 06:05
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Quote: "I suppose youre one of those "female nerds no exist!" guys?"

To some degree, yes... But more-so what Wolf said lol.

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old_School
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 06:22
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Yeah I agree Wolf, geeky girls are fun to talk too. Then we draw the line. I dont want to sleep with my interest/work, I want to sleep with a women so hot I forget about hard drives lol
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Dazzag
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 10:52
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Course they exist. You just wouldn't want to sleep with them. Or touch them with a bargepole.

And there's nothing women want more is a man to talk about his coding experiences over a nice half of shandy (2nd of the night), rather than say, I dunno, chop a tree to bits for the fire, fight a bear, fix their car (with their teeth) or weigh more than a small puppy (and less than a car).

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
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Mychal B
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I can ask my girl what a boolean variable can hold and she will tell me the correct answer!!! It only took a couple months of me randomly asking her and telling her the answer... that reminds me...

When I was in high school I went to a state competition for video games programmed in gamemaker, the ogpc. The speaker started talking about how binary works and she asked me loudly, "what's binary?" the stares we got...

The fastfood zombie killer
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Quik
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 13:14
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Quote: "Course they exist. You just wouldn't want to sleep with them"


.____.'
Quote: "And there's nothing women want more is a man to talk about his coding experiences over a nice half of shandy (2nd of the night), rather than say, I dunno, chop a tree to bits for the fire, fight a bear, fix their car (with their teeth) or weigh more than a small puppy (and less than a car).
"


we play Minecraft in where we cut trees with our FISTS!!

and for the record, I am a man.

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Van B
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The worst thing you can do is enforce your taste on other people. That goes for hobbies, movies, music, everything. Unless you already know that the people you are talking to are into the same or similar things, keep shtoom. People can be impressed by the potential to make money - it's easy to excuse being a geek if there's money in it.

Geeky girls at my work try and corner me all the time, but I want none of it... it's not as if any of them are attractive. The bottom line is that attractive girls have better things to do, same goes for males too, attractive males tend to concentrate their energies on attractive females.
Being geeky shouldn't matter, geekdom is not a disease, it's not contagious, it's not a second skin that we can't shed. Why do people need to know your a geek?, geeks should concentrate more on listening to people and socialising than trying to impress people. Surgeons don't sit in the bar, bragging about how many bits they've removed, so why should people care if your PC has a solid state drive!
Geeks can be very arrogant, always answering questions that nobody asked. I'm a geek, theres no escaping that, but I keep it on the down low as much as I can.

And one another thing... watch for your mates stitching you up. Like if your chatting to people, and a friend happens to mention that your good with computers, kick them in the spleen. That's just them illustrating that your a geek, and putting you down via proxy. I say that geeks should use their smarts to try and blend in more, try and make it look like they care about current events, or other peoples opinions or penguins or whatever the hell normal people care about these days.

Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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old_School
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 16:03 Edited at: 7th Sep 2011 16:04
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IDK I wear my Geekness like a badge of honor. In the U.S. geeks are called "Boss", so it kinda sucks for you if you pick on a geek lol Popular social trend over here is a nerd with money = hot chic on side.
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Van B
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 16:51
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Nope, that trend is not a trend, it's just a different sort of guy with money. The same thing happens when you add an old guy and money, hot chicks can be bought but thats nothing new or honorable.
As I said...
Quote: "People can be impressed by the potential to make money - it's easy to excuse being a geek if there's money in it."


In the UK, the Boss is more likely to be the biggest douchebag, rather than the biggest geek - I'd love to work for someone really smart, but that just doesn't happen. I know, I tricked my last boss into taking an IQ test, and I might as well have given the test to a freakin cheeseplant.

Really, I think it's best to avoid labels at the end of the day.

Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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Wolf
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 16:56 Edited at: 7th Sep 2011 16:56
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I'm with VanB on this!

Quote: "I keep it on the down low as much as I can.
"


Yeah, me too... my friends know that I do a lot of geeky stuff in my sparetime... but if someone I just met or don't know that well asks me if I'm good with computer, I usually say I'm okay with it or just no. Why? Because I really don't want to hear anything about

*someones hardware
*the new call of duty game
*someones OS and how he tweaked it (with cheap tune up software I concider to be blasphemy)
*someones antivir (oh ... my favorite...people who honestly talk about antivir software)
*malware/viruses/trojans
*the best shopping websites
*his own homepage (that is usually a complete monstrocity)
*her blog
*Facebook
*Myspace
*Twitter
*His boss'es/teachers social networking account.
*Your childs videogames and how violent they are
*The youtube video you saw


Its just boring trivial jazz nobody even remotely cares about.


Quote: "I say that geeks should use their smarts to try and blend in more, try and make it look like they care about current events, or other peoples opinions or penguins or whatever the hell normal people care about these days.
"


Here I'm going to tell you something about me, YOU certainly don't care about. I don't come along that well with other men for that particular reason. I have certain ....problems...socialising with average male people. Because all they talk about are computers, phones and sports. Sports!! They talk for hours about the latest soccer match. Women however... you can chat with them about almost everything. ...and they never mention fricking michael ballack or a dang ipad!

Quote: "Surgeons don't sit in the bar, bragging about how many bits they've removed, so why should people care if your PC has a solid state drive!"


Well...I overheard a conversation recently about two busdrivers bragging about...busdriving... you know...having the right feeling for the bus and getting to the stations just in time.
Some people don't need much to be happy I guess.

Quote: "In the U.S. geeks are called "Boss", so it kinda sucks for you if you pick on a geek lol Popular social trend over here is a nerd with money = hot chic on side. "


Americans...

Honestly: Most bosses I ever met where intelligent, succesfull people. You need to know a lot about leadership and psychology if you want to lead a company. You have to hire the right people and you have to know how to motivate them to get the best results. You also need to constantly evolve and fight for your position on the international market. The typical geek stereotype is completely unable to do any of this. Here you can be a geek in your sparetime. I am too, even though none of my characterelements fits in the typical nerdstereotype thingie.

Quote: "nerd with money = hot chic on side."


Now... lets take nerd for an average person that simply likes certain technical toys. Like most of us here... Why not?

And now...lets take the introverted arrogant nerd stereotype (including glasses and nonattractive behaviour) with money...and a hot girl. I have the feeling that this hot girl is more after the money than the man.

Also...most people that where fitting in the nerd stereotype wheren't even very good at computers...only slightly above average. Why? To fit in that stereotype you can't be overly intelligent...otherwise you wouldn't behave...you know, like a nerd all the time and you would socialise much better. And actually have other hobbys because you realize that sitting in front of a machine all time makes you not much more than the apparatus you are typing on itself.
You would also not be so arrogant. I mean, the thing that puts people mostly off about typical nerds is the way they try to appear smarter than most people in the room.

If you are really proud about being an awesome coder and IT buff... yeah man! I'm proud of my abilitys too...perfectly normal and healthy to a degree

If you are proud about fitting in the geek stereotype: You lose, buddy...try again.



-Wolf

I make serious coffee - so strong it wakes up the neighbors.
http://serygalacaffeine.deviantart.com/
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Quik
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 19:16
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Quote: "Geeky girls at my work try and corner me all the time, but I want none of it... it's not as if any of them are attractive. The bottom line is that attractive girls have better things to do, same goes for males too, attractive males tend to concentrate their energies on attractive females."


What kind of girls do you guys know!?
All girls I know /excluding a few\ are geeks and are extremely beautiful at that .___.'

and for the record, I am a man.

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fallen one
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 19:50 Edited at: 7th Sep 2011 20:02
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Quote: "In the UK, the Boss is more likely to be the biggest douchebag"

You cant write this big enough as far as I am concerned, Ive dealt with people in publishing, its impossible for them to talk straight, everything is from an angle, they walk in circles to reach their destination, forever moving to outflank their quarry, they also know nothing about actually making games, if you talk shop with them their eyes glaze over, in reality they are just box fillers, at the lower end of acquisitions they are glorified salesmen who would be just as qualified selling bottles of shampoo as selling games, and as you go higher up they are just glorified accountants.

Thank heavens for cheap engines, and digital distribution, I hope publishers become a thing of the past in the games industry, better to go completely indie, even if it means scrapping by and slowly working your way up, because in the end, there are no real shortcuts, better to make your way in the race to your own destination, without a jockey dangling a carrot and whipping you to 'carry' them to their destination.


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old_School
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 20:42
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I hate Ipod and Ipad conversations or anything "I" related conversation wise.
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heyufool1
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 21:13
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Quote: "I hate Ipod and Ipad conversations or anything "I" related conversation wise."

I'm not sure what an Ipod or an Ipad is, but I am familiar with an iPod and an iPad. I personally love my 80gb iPod Classic. Had it for 5 years and the only the problem I had was software related and easily fixed (for free). However, the battery is dying, can only listen to music for 10 or so hours now

"So hold your head up high and know. It's not the end of the road"
Switch Game Engine
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 21:37 Edited at: 7th Sep 2011 21:40
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Quote: "Quote: "Geeky girls at my work try and corner me all the time, but I want none of it... it's not as if any of them are attractive. The bottom line is that attractive girls have better things to do, same goes for males too, attractive males tend to concentrate their energies on attractive females."

What kind of girls do you guys know!?
All girls I know /excluding a few\ are geeks and are extremely beautiful at that .___.'"


This.

There's stereotypes and people who fill stereotypes but I find a lot of the time, stereotypes are inaccurate. For example: Americans are often stereotyped as being thick as 2 short planks, yet most of the Americans I've spoken to - in real life and on the internet, it hasn't been the case. Like there's the stereotypical male geek there's the stereotypical female geek, who are fewer in number and the stereotypes for both are unpleasant and when I've encountered such people, I find myself doing my best to ignore them, as for the most party they lack good social skills and are arrogant.

However, I'd say 70% of my friends could be called geeks, ladies included and reading through this thread it has me thinking 'What the hell?' I suspect people's experiences of other people differ or maybe, Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, loving computers (even programming), being obsessed with fantasy novels, playing games vigorously, loving gadgets and technology, watching Anime, reading manga, pointing out pieces of technical information when watching Star Trek, joining re-enactment groups, loving Science Fiction, Role Playing, cosplaying, going to conventions and making jokes about +1 items of 'x' trait don't factor into geekdom.

I know girls with the above traits who are not only lovely people who aren't unpleasant but don't look like the orcs they D&D as...not that I judge people badly for their appearances, unless I hate them enough, but appearances were thrown into the discussion.

On the note of geeks blending in, I say sod that - I'm proud to be a weirdo. If people have a problem with that, well, why should I be bothered? It's something silly to get bothered over. I don't think people should strive to blend in with the crowd of 'normals', except maybe when it's obviously good for your physical well-being but whatever happened to 'just be yourself'? (of course, it should be 'just be yourself within the confines of the law'*, I'm sure Ed Gein was just being himself)


*As the law isn't necessarily always considered 'right' I would have written 'within the confines of morality', yet exactly what is 'moral' is often debatable, thus it was open up a great series philosophical issues.

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RedneckRambo
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Posted: 7th Sep 2011 22:39 Edited at: 8th Sep 2011 03:20
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Quote: "There's stereotypes and people who fill stereotypes but I find a lot of the time, stereotypes are inaccurate"

In America.... The stereotypical geek isn't inaccurate whatsoever. It's pretty dead on. That's where most stereotypes come from in the first place, a degree of fact. And in America, it's pretty dead on.
Well... Maybe I should say 'California' and not America, as I can't vouch for the other 49 states.

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Travis Gatlin
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 02:12
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I got lucky, I'm a huge nerd in our school, but actually i have a lot of friends. Whenever you say or do something smart in my school, people tend to become closer to you or try to learn what you do, I'm one of two programmers (besides one of the teachers) at our school, and i happen to be the better than the other. Luckily, my BTA teacher realizes my skills and allows me to do pretty much whatever i want on the computer, i might as well be a second teacher for them, if someone can't get to her, then i'm always the next to be asked.
Being a geek is fun anyhow, showing up all your classmates when you know the answers to every question given, having the best grade in your class and watching people look at you weird, ahh.... the priceless looks they give me
Today, i was modeling a pencil in class for fun, you wouldn't believe how many people asked me what i was doing and how i was doing it.

My Mind is very odd, it can memorize hundreds of commands, memorize 2 dictionary's worth of words, and make detailed 3D models. Yet my mind has trouble with the most simple calculations.
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Quik
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 07:20
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Quote: "Today, i was modeling a pencil in class for fun, you wouldn't believe how many people asked me what i was doing and how i was doing it."

Yes, yes i would

and for the record, I am a man.

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Plystire
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 08:55
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I feel so left out... I have never met a genuinely geeky female in my entire life, and I've always wanted to.

I dated a nurse for quite a while, and yeah the convos were interesting, but (and I probably sound like an a-hole for saying this) I really didn't care what happened in the surgery room that day. Moreover, I don't want to hear the intimate details about it over dinner. I've heard enough of the medical field from my mother (who's an RN, and a professor of the nursing program at a nearby college), and I don't really care for it from her either. She was the sweetest girl I had ever met (next to my niece... but she already knew that lol), and someone I really cared for. Yet, at the end of the day I couldn't really talk to her about my own interests without receiving a blank stare telling me that regardless of how interested she was in what I had to say, she hadn't a clue what I was talking about or how to even follow up to continue the conversation. I could talk with her about medical crap, because after a lifetime of hearing that stuff from my mother I had plenty to add, but when it came to my own interests it was a terribly one-sided conversation.

When I go on a date, and she asks me what my hobbies are, the first words out of my mouth are "Err -- ummm --" and then something along the lines of computers and software development. No, I admit I'm not SO PROUD of it that I'm going to be "Hey, look at me! I can write code! Aren't I cool??" but I'm not going to deny it. The way I see it, if she can like me for who I really am, all the better.

As for everyone talking about appearances.... my my, so shallow. I would only truly care about a woman's appearance if she had serious problems, or looked like that dude with the superman shirt from Goonies. I value personality over appearance.


Quote: "IDK I wear my Geekness like a badge of honor. In the U.S. geeks are called "Boss", so it kinda sucks for you if you pick on a geek lol Popular social trend over here is a nerd with money = hot chic on side."


Suddenly, all of your previous posts make sense. See? This is what I'm talking about. This tells me you don't care about the girl as long as she's "hot". If that's the case, you deserve the no doubt shallow gold-digger that you picked up, and that will more than likely divorce you later so she can take off with half of your stuff.


~Plystire

A rose is only a rose until it is held and cherished -- then it becomes a treasure.
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BiggAdd
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 09:52
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I think the problem is people who go around bragging about how good they are with computers are trying too hard to come across as "smart".

There is nothing worse than someone who constantly tries to prove himself in conversation, its tiring and its boring.
Its also tiring when people talk about one topic all the time, it comes across as socially moronic.

Its much more socially "clever" to appear dumber than you actually are. You'll find people will be more open to you and you'll actually make friends quicker.

They say its lonely at the top. If you try to elevate yourself above the people you know, you'll find yourself pretty lonely soon enough.
Save the technical drivel for your colleagues and friends in the know.

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Plystire
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 10:29
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Quote: "Its much more socially "clever" to appear dumber than you actually are. You'll find people will be more open to you and you'll actually make friends quicker."


Is this because you're putting yourself in the minority of people that don't try to sound smart in a conversation?


~Plystire

A rose is only a rose until it is held and cherished -- then it becomes a treasure.
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 10:39 Edited at: 8th Sep 2011 10:39
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Quote: "There is nothing worse than someone who constantly tries to prove himself in conversation, its tiring and its boring.
Its also tiring when people talk about one topic all the time, it comes across as socially moronic."


Sounds exactly like this:



Quote: "Whenever you say or do something smart in my school, people tend to become closer to you or try to learn what you do, I'm one of two programmers (besides one of the teachers) at our school"


And they also copy your work, yet somehow manage to get a higher grade than you.

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BiggAdd
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Posted: 8th Sep 2011 21:25 Edited at: 8th Sep 2011 21:31
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Quote: "Is this because you're putting yourself in the minority of people that don't try to sound smart in a conversation?"


Minority? Only a few people try and brag about how clever they are, and usually the majority hate their guts.
Seppuku hit the nail on the head, it sounds exactly like Robert Webb in that sketch.

Its fine to talk about politics and science, but you can't force a conversation into these areas if people don't want to talk about them, if you do you come across like an arrogant arse.

Its about being humble and modest. My last flatmate for example wouldn't be able to tell you anything about current science or politics, she was the sort who would consider XFactor as entertainment, but that doesn't mean to say she wasn't clever.
Its easy to mistake knowledge with intelligence, she was by no means dumb and we had a mutual respect in that I wouldn't talk about politics or science and she wouldn't talk about XFactor or anything like that. You can have a friendship with someone without having to talk about the things topics that interest you.

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Plystire
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Posted: 9th Sep 2011 01:44
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Quote: "Minority? Only a few people try and brag about how clever they are, and usually the majority hate their guts."


Hmmm, where I live it's the opposite. It's not on the level of Seppuku's clip, but I generally find people who are only interested in talking about topics that they feel they have an above average understanding of. Maybe I just consistently draw the short straw.


~Plystire

A rose is only a rose until it is held and cherished -- then it becomes a treasure.
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Wolf
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Posted: 9th Sep 2011 02:19
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Quote: "Hmmm, where I live it's the opposite. It's not on the level of Seppuku's clip, but I generally find people who are only interested in talking about topics that they feel they have an above average understanding of. Maybe I just consistently draw the short straw.
"


Nah, you are just surrounded by a-holes.

RUN AWAY!!!

I make serious coffee - so strong it wakes up the neighbors.
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Captain Coder
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Posted: 9th Sep 2011 05:25
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Quote: "So, any toughts about this? "


Your original post was great! I love it!

The rest of the conversation has turned a bit... off topic, to put it nicely. I won't offer any comment on it.

But I like your first post! A very nice bunch of text in that first post, certainly.

Captain Coder

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- Me
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Fallout
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Posted: 9th Sep 2011 09:18
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@Sep - Great link. Never seen that sketch. ... not exactly game programming though, is it?

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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 9th Sep 2011 19:19 Edited at: 9th Sep 2011 21:07
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Quote: "Hmmm, where I live it's the opposite. It's not on the level of Seppuku's clip, but I generally find people who are only interested in talking about topics that they feel they have an above average understanding of. Maybe I just consistently draw the short straw."


I suppose it varies area to area and person to person. I think I've perhaps met a few people like it - I know one guy who ACTUALLY genuinely said: "People worship me" and "I am God" with no sense of irony, not in a general "I can't believe I did something", but in a conversation talking about how great he is...not only that he interrupted and took over a conversation I was already having with somebody else. He also has asked me before, "why do I do these things" (the things he think's he's amazing for) and I replied, "because you're an egotistical maniac" and he took it as a complement. He was actually a IT Technician too, and I knew another IT technician like it who was a complete BSer (and some BS was so detestable he lost friends over it). However, other IT folk I know, have been pretty awesome and not egotistical. For my experience, I'd say they're the minority, but I suspect not everybody is as lucky.

[edit] I actually know a techie who's exactly like Moss, minus the glasses.
Quote: "@Sep - Great link. Never seen that sketch. ... not exactly game programming though, is it?"


lol, I love the show. And David Mitchell is freaking hilarious.

Quote: "Its fine to talk about politics and science, but you can't force a conversation into these areas if people don't want to talk about them, if you do you come across like an arrogant arse."


Agreed. I'll only talk about those things if somebody wants to talk about them or starts the conversation - but normally I'll operate on an equal level, except maybe when it come to a debate situation (public debate, forum debate, whatever), then I won't hold back because that's the purpose, to challenge each other. When operating on an equal level, I don't want to try and one up a person's views, if they're not gone into great depths of thought or research, I think it's up to them and not to me to tell them what's right, unless of course I'm pressed.

For example: Mormons that stopped me in the street, I just wanted to say, "I'm not interested", then they pressed, I said, "I don't believe in God" and then they really pressed, asking really specific questions, so naturally I gave them specific answers and that made them really uncomfortable (as they weren't expecting me to give an in depth well thought out answer) and I felt bad because they didn't know what to say on the spot (and were probably embarrassed) and they were a really nice couple of lads. But I thanked them, wished them luck and went on my way.

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Fallout
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Posted: 10th Sep 2011 12:44
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Quote: "Agreed. I'll only talk about those things if somebody wants to talk about them or starts the conversation - but normally I'll operate on an equal level, except maybe when it come to a debate situation (public debate, forum debate, whatever), then I won't hold back because that's the purpose, to challenge each other. When operating on an equal level, I don't want to try and one up a person's views, if they're not gone into great depths of thought or research, I think it's up to them and not to me to tell them what's right, unless of course I'm pressed. "


This. So many people, and I mean the majority, are unable to to do this. That includes most of the people here, I am sure, and I'm sure they don't realise it. It's important to recognise that a lot of people form opinions on the heat of the moment, with passion or quick thinking, and haven't thought it through.

Most smart people are quick to correct others, or impose their more thought out opinion upon them, but that's not always the best move in normal conversation. Usually it's best to nod in agreement and subtly provide your thoughts on the same level. Smarts forget that there is a difference between debate and pleasant conversation.

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RedneckRambo
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Posted: 10th Sep 2011 21:39
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Quote: "As for everyone talking about appearances.... my my, so shallow. I would only truly care about a woman's appearance if she had serious problems, or looked like that dude with the superman shirt from Goonies. I value personality over appearance.
"

I find this hard to believe to some extent, honestly. Everyone values appearance to an extent more than they generally realize. Maybe you are the one true exception in this world, but I'm gonna bet you value appearance a little more than you realize But then again, maybe not lol.
Personally, being 20, I really could care less about personality right now lol. As rude as that is, I'm not trying to get on some romantically, personal, serious level with anyone.
I suppose I shouldn't keep posting on this subject as it has strayed far, far off topic. I keep doing that, I need to stop lol. But I must post this so this is my last off-topic post for a couple days lol.

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Wolf
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Posted: 10th Sep 2011 22:05
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Quote: "Personally, being 20, I really could care less about personality right now lol. As rude as that is, I'm not trying to get on some romantically, personal, serious level with anyone.
I suppose I shouldn't keep posting on this subject as it has strayed far, far off topic. I keep doing that, I need to stop lol. But I must post this so this is my last off-topic post for a couple days lol."


Yeah, a lesson about inner values and love from a guy named redneck rambo wouldn't work here.



-Wolf

Matter is energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively Theres no such thing as death,life is only a dream,and were the imagination of ourselves.
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Jeku
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Posted: 10th Sep 2011 23:11 Edited at: 10th Sep 2011 23:14
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I'm not sure why people always equate geekiness with money. Yes, some geeks are crazy rich. But most of the geeks I know have menial IT jobs or are making crappy hourly wages doing web pages and the like. Not exactly winning the girls over with the vat of cash, are we?

Anyways, I feel fortunate to be dating a girl who is comfortable with gaming, yet she's not in the computer industry at all (blood lab specialist). I gifted her Plants vs. Zombies the other day on Steam and she already completed it twice! She was also a WoW addict a few years back. She's the only girl I've dated that would touch a game with a 10-foot pole, and she's also incredibly attractive and hot. Yes, they do exist, just more rare.


Software Engineer - Metamoki
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RedneckRambo
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Posted: 10th Sep 2011 23:13
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Quote: "Yeah, a lesson about inner values and love from a guy named redneck rambo wouldn't work here"

Lmao! Too true haha.

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Quik
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Posted: 11th Sep 2011 01:45
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Quote: "Anyways, I feel fortunate to be dating a girl who is comfortable with gaming, yet she's not in the computer industry at all (blood lab specialist)"


one of the problems with my last relation ship was that she hated EVERYTHING with computers...

...

and for the record, I am a man.

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Indicium
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Posted: 11th Sep 2011 02:29
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There's no need for you to keep a computer in the kitchen.

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