Geek Code

The Geek Code is a series of letters and symbols used by self-described "geeks" to inform fellow geeks about their personality, appearance, interests, and opinions. The idea is that everything that makes a geek individual and different from all the other geeks in the world can be written down (encoded) in this very compact format. Then other geeks can read the geek code and work back from that to discover what the writer looks like, what interests s/he has, and so forth. This is deemed to be efficient in some sufficiently geeky manner.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Geek Code was invented by Robert Hayden in 1993 and is defined at geekcode.com. The idea has subsequently been extended to many other occupations and groups, such as goths or furries, but the geek code is the original such code.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In some parts of the net, it was once common practice to use a geek code as one's signature, though those times are now long past. One of the consequences of being so old in such a fast-moving field is that much of the geek code now looks rather dated. The World Wide Web is described as "relatively new and little understood" - while the latter may still be accurate, the former certainly isn't. Creating a geek code for yourself is almost like nostalgia for nerds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Once created, geeks can use their geek codes anywhere they please. Previous places include emails, websites, letters, art, programming language comments, and even T-shirts. Nowadays, personal websites are the most common breeding ground, particularly any "about me" sections.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Robert Hayden's own geek code is:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

GED/J d-- a-- C++(++++) ULU++ P+ L++ E---- W+(-) N+++ o+ K+++ w--- O- M+ V-- PS++>$ PE++>$ Y++ PGP++ t- 5+++ X++ R+++>$ tv+ b+ DI+++ D+++ G++++ e++ h r-- y++**

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Geek: A geek is a person who is fascinated, perhaps obsessively, by obscure or very specific areas of knowledge and imagination. Geek may not always have the same meaning as the term nerd (see nerd for a discussion of the disputed relation between the terms)....

Personality: In psychology, personality is a description of consistent emotional, thought, and behavior patterns in a person. The several theoretical perspectives on personality involve different ideas about the relationship between personality and other psychological constructs as well as different ideas about ...

Individual: In common speech, the word individual most often refers to a person, or, by analogy, to any specific object in a group of things. For example, you are an individual person, and a lawn is made of individual blades of grass. Originally, in the 15th century or earlier, the term meant "indivisible" as ...

Geek Code related Images and Photos (experimental)

geek.	geek. beanie	Code 46	Geek Ball
Code Name: Emerald (DVD)	Geek. Shot Glass	Geek Wisdom	Geek Panties
Time Code	Geek Work Shirt	Geek Nail Polish	Code Name: The Cleaner (DVD) (WS)