Okay, I must say that I would really like to be labled as a computer geek. I like geeks, and therefore I want to be one.
SO, my question is... what do I have to do/have to be counted as a computer geek?

Do you know one ? In that case, he could give you some tips.

1. Compile a program
2. Write a program
3. Write a compiler
4. Write a programming language
5. Iterate until you realize that you are actually recursing

P.S. Once you reach the point where you can understand more than 2% of the discussion on LtU, you may safely consider yourself enlightened sufficient to call yourself a "geek".

I am completely and blissfully computer ignorant, and your question alone makes you a geek in my eyes <3

If you go to any of the Star Trek conventions, then I would consider you a Geek. lol

One more; if you know who Chris Pirillo's alter ego is, then you are a Geek (I do, but I cheated, so I'm just a wannabe; lol).

How much time do you spend at your computer?
If you take your meals while computing you can safely call yourself one of the geekiest!
Oh and you must own a pocket pouch for pens,pencils, and the usual geek paraphernalia.
By the way if you know what "paraphernalia" means you are definitely not a geek you are probably a hippie.

I know I'm a 'geek' - despite my not being a programmer - because I started my computer experiences with an Amiga, I made my career from that moment on using computers, I still go to computer meetings and we get all excited about cell phones, unusual devices that 99% of the public has ever heard of, and talk about this stuff to no end.

in fact, I'm going to a meeting tonight.

I knew the people who STARTED trek cons. and attended them...

oh, and I have Isaac Asimov's signature. And consider it one of my most prized possessions

Here you go you are now officially labeled a geek!

One of my most prized possessions is my collection of Asimov books (some signed) -- between six and seven hundred now (that's about half the books he's written; talk about prolific! the man's written more books than most people've read).

My daughter finds my son and I so geek that she considers herself a "passive geek" like there are passive smokers(*). She is a History student, but already owns two computers (a laptop with Seven, and a netbook (her own personal pick) that dual-boots Android and Ubuntu(this one on her request).

The big difference between the geek and the garden-variety techno-addict with which he is often confused is that the geek is ready to spend a lot of time understanding how the damn thing works to use it to its full capacity (and sometimes beyond, by inventing new ways of using it).

(*) but my wife seems to be quite immune to the oozing geekiness

OK Cecilia; you are geek. lol

Okay. I've eaten at the computer... and I've never been to a Star Trek con. I spend an hour and a half on the computer a day, because that's as long as my parents will let me on.

In my family's eye I'm a geek, I guess. *shrugs*

The fact that you post here puts among the geeks if that's what you want Kayla. lol

What if the programming language is interpreted and if I write an interpreter instead ? Am I geek enough in this case ?

Interpreters are compilers too, just one statement at a time, over and over again.

If you've ever written an assembler/disassembler, you might be a computer geek.

In my view, there are many different kinds of computer geeks; hardware, software, networking and application specialists, just to name a few. Some geeks have a narrow but expert focus on their speciality, while others have a wider range of skill sets over several areas of interest.

Computer geekiness can't be bestowed, it has to be well earned.

This little geek test will exercise your natural neural network.

David, just knowing the lingo makes you a geek, regardless of whether or not you write, compile, or interpret.

Command line junkies are the elite of the geeks because they have to do everything the "hard" way (minus the UI), which in many cases is actually the easier way.

I took part in a conversation related to Saulgoode's #5, in which half the room argued the better points of recursive coding versus looping. Aside from all the redundancy and repetitive points, just understanding what everyone was saying made me feel like a geek. Non-geeks would have said, "ok, this is over my head..." and walked off.

To the original poster: If you want to be a geek, you are a geek, go right ahead.


Oh, I used the Amiga exclusively up until 2001 or so actually. Have had an Amiga 500, 1200 and a 4000/60 as well as the AmigaOneXE, still have them although I'm using Linux these days. Used to be very active on places like amiga.org and amigaworld.net. Ann ANN.lu too, which was were the huge Amiga flamewars ruled. Ah, those were the days. I used to go under the callsign "SlimJim" in those days though, for some reason.

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Griatch

Knowledge alone doesn't make you a geek. It has to be combined with a passion for the subject. Some people might call it an obsession.

In a previous life I did embedded software. I banged a lot of bits and pounded on a lot of silicon. I wrote a real-time operating system and still have all three of Knuth's books. That's a large part of what I did for a living, but it wasn't what I did in my spare time. And as a result, I wasn't a computer geek.

I worked with only a couple of people who I would consider computer geeks. The rest of us had other interests that we pursued outside of work.

Now, the computer is simply a tool that I use to do things. Much the same as the tools I have in my workshop.