Degrees of Geekiness

I've always been something of a geek. I know this because this is what people around me called me. Nerd. Dork. Troll. Spock.(for my oversized ears, hence my long aversion to Star Trek.) I know this because of the games I played and the cartoons I watched and the comics I read, well after everyone around me outgrew them. I know I was a geek because of the guys who beat me up and the girls who used to write fake love notes and then stand in a corner with their friends laughing at me. I know I'm a geek because even though I know I'm a geek, I still took this test tonight. I present my answers, and the test's conclusion:



I HAVE...
• programmed a calculator in math class
• always hated mainstream
• done homework for somebody else
• written a letter to the editor
• written fan fiction
• indexed and catalogued any personal collection
• solved a Rubik's cube
• solved an entire 500+ piece puzzle


I HAVE BEEN...
• to a con
• "that guy" at a concert
• called a geek
•    several times
• labeled socially inept
•   by your "friends"
• in "smart" classes
• in marching band
• to museums by my own freewill


I HAVE...
• roleplayed
•    3+ times a week
• introduced several people to roleplaying
• gone to the movies alone
•    regularly
• skipped parties because I'm not cool enough to go
• founded a club of any sort
• never turned down a date


I HAVE READ...
• Robert Jordan
• J.R.R. Tolkien
• comic books
• graphic novels
• fan fiction
• gaming books


I WANT...
• a date
• my own comic book store
• Jean Grey
• 7 of 9
• Scully
• Willow or Buffy
• more friends
• more RAM
• to score well on this test


I BELIEVE...
• in aliens
• that anything can be fixed


I ROUTINELY WATCH...
• X-Files
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Superhero cartoons (Batman, Superman, etc.)
• Jeopardy
• spinoff shows of any of the above
• obscure movies
• Anime
• bonus features on DVDs


I HAVE SEEN (2+ times)...
• Clerks
• Highlander: the movie
• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Two Towers
• The Matrix
• Any Monty Python movie
• Princess Bride
• Spaceballs
• TRON
• Any Star Trek movie
• The Star Wars Trilogy
• Star Wars Episode I and II
• Transformers: the movie
• Weird Science


I OWN...
• 5+ of the above movies on DVD
• Rubik's cube
• more than one slinky
• four-color pen
• whole/partial set of figurines
• 1 or 2 computers
• DVD burner
• a toy lightsaber
• 2+ dictionaries
• 2+ calculators
• > 1 video game console
• binoculars
• telescope
• microscope
• magnifying glass


I WANT TO BE (OR HAVE BEEN)...
• a superhero


I LIKE TO...
• play with words/sounds
• read on Friday or Saturday nights
• go to the library
• do logic games
• put together puzzles
• turn on my computer first thing in the morning
• use 1024x768 or higher
• roleplay
• buy DVDs for their bonus materials
• work mathematical problems
• make people think I'm weird
• play with Lego
• learn on my own


I PLAY...
• chess
• word games (like boggle, scrabble, crosswords)
• solitaire games
• Weezer
• cartoon soundtracks
• no sports
• more than one musical instrument
• computer strategy games
• games via the internet
• an excessive amount of computer games


I WEAR...
• comic book-related ties, underwear, etc.
• as little brand name clothing as possible
• a digital watch


I COLLECT...
• comic books
• superhero paraphernalia


I HAVE...
• had long Mac vs. PC debates
• followed comic strips online
• a computer at home with no cover on it
• designed a robot
• built a robot
• played Final Fantasy
• defeated Final Fantasy
• played video/computer games for 12+ hours straight
• created a website
• more than 3 e-mail addresses
• more than 3 screen names
• exaggerated on this test to score better


I KNOW...
• BASIC
• HTML and/or JavaScript
• l337 sp33k
• what http:// stands for
• what dpi stands for
• what E=mc^2 means
• more people online than in real life
• the names of 3 temperature scales
• the difference between nuclear fission and fusion
• how to count in hexadecimal
• the difference between octal and octane
• what RAM and ROM stand for
• what a "patch" means in computer terms
• what the blue screen of death means


I KNOW...
• the names of 5+ Hobbits
•    10+ Smurfs
•    5+ comic book writers
•    5+ Star Trek characters
•      from each generation
• the odd/even number rule of Star Trek movies
• that the new millennium started in 2001
• what a THAC0 is
• extensive, useless trivia
• that the answer is 42
• that I am a geek


BONUS ROUND
• My profession requires a certain level of geekiness
• Throughout my life, my level of geekiness has only increased
• I think this Geek Test is really cool
• • • • • I can think of other things that should get me points on this test


Now, I only listed the things I checked off, so some of my answers may make more sense after reading through the test in its entirety. After clicking the “results” button I was very surprised, and went through and made sure I checked everything off that I should have. My results raised some interesting questions, first and foremost regarding the accuracy of this test. Some of the shows it listed are no longer on, so “routinely watch” was tough unless I'm watching them on DVD or in syndication. I had to reluctantly not check off some items while marginally check off others. I had to say I owned 5 or more and not 10 or more of the DVDs mentioned only because when I went through the list, I came up with 9. As for the list, the “2+ times” qualifier meant leaving off major movies I have seen, but only once.

Besides questioning the test, I question myself. Am I a product of other's perceptions, or of perhaps my own skewed view of myself? Do I somehow intentionally skew that viewpoint not only to myself but to others, and represent myself behind a “shield” of geekiness? Or are there in fact many KINDS of geeks, as well as degrees? I don't have any answers, so all I can do is conclude with my results, and wait and see how other readers fare:

29.5858%

That SO can't be right....