Geek Backlash
Dec. 16th, 2004 11:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cmdr_zoomPerhaps I'm overstating the matter, but here goes.
Five years ago, self-proclaimed geeks and nerds enjoyed an unprecedented economic and cultural ascendance. They were the fuel and the poster children for the dot-com boom. And then, just as suddenly, their moment in the sun ended ... not because of the greed of investors, unsustainable speculation, general downturn or other factors. No, it was all the geeks' fault, their hubris.
People are often rankled or even humiliated when the social order is upset by omegas getting some power and freedom. (It doesn't help that many omegas immediately abuse their new power.) And so now we see things like an awards show for video games that does everything to keep those nerds from nerdening up the party, or established cartoonists printing strips that are outright slaps at their online brethren - a warning to "keep to your place" - just to name two examples from the last few days.
To use the metaphor of that most anthemic of geek movies, it's as if the Nerds had their Revenge, and then a year later the university nearly failed, taking the fortunes of the Lambdas with it... and afterwards, the rest of the Greek Council came to a private Understanding that henceforth, no Tri-Lambda would ever be allowed to be in charge of anything again. And so the Rightful Way of Things was restored, and all breathed a sigh of relief.
Five years ago, self-proclaimed geeks and nerds enjoyed an unprecedented economic and cultural ascendance. They were the fuel and the poster children for the dot-com boom. And then, just as suddenly, their moment in the sun ended ... not because of the greed of investors, unsustainable speculation, general downturn or other factors. No, it was all the geeks' fault, their hubris.
People are often rankled or even humiliated when the social order is upset by omegas getting some power and freedom. (It doesn't help that many omegas immediately abuse their new power.) And so now we see things like an awards show for video games that does everything to keep those nerds from nerdening up the party, or established cartoonists printing strips that are outright slaps at their online brethren - a warning to "keep to your place" - just to name two examples from the last few days.
To use the metaphor of that most anthemic of geek movies, it's as if the Nerds had their Revenge, and then a year later the university nearly failed, taking the fortunes of the Lambdas with it... and afterwards, the rest of the Greek Council came to a private Understanding that henceforth, no Tri-Lambda would ever be allowed to be in charge of anything again. And so the Rightful Way of Things was restored, and all breathed a sigh of relief.
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Date: 2004-12-16 07:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-16 10:52 pm (UTC)Bah.
Date: 2004-12-17 12:11 am (UTC)If he doesn't understand how one could make a living with a webcomic, Randy (SomethingPostive) could give him the graphic demonstration:
Put up a comic that is funny/odd/different enough to get faithful readers.
Tell readers you need money to do this thing full-time.
Get well over $20k in three weeks.
Or he could ask some of the OTHER people who do it full-time for a living -- Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary), Pete (Sluggy Freelance) etc.
Re: Bah.
Date: 2004-12-17 01:21 am (UTC)Of course, there are examples of how not to do that, too, most notably User Friendly (full disclosure: I've worked booths for UF at trade shows, and consider it a pleasure to drink Yohimbe and WebDiva's beer when I'm up North. I just think the business plan required a lot more thought than some folks in the organization-- none of whom are still hanging around with Illiad and Yoh and the like, notably-- were willing to give it.)