“
...the Platonic nerd is invariably male. The stereotype is flexible to incorporate women and girls on an individual basis, but few people conjure up the image of a woman when they think about nerds.” Feminist blog Pandagon
reviews two books about nerdiness and geekery, Jason Tocci
addresses the question of why female involvement in geek culture seems to call for a special explanation, and two
feminist geeks set out in search of an egalitarian future.
posted by velvet winter
on Jun 26, 2009 -
142 comments
Circuits are flipping on in the
nation's attic. A couple of weeks ago,
31 "digerati" -- like
Clay Shirky,
Chris Anderson, and
George Oates --
dropped in to the Smithsonian Institution for the invitation-only conference
"Smithsonian 2.0: A Gathering to Re-imagine the Smithsonian in the Digital Age".
Dan Cohen of the
Center for History and New Media provides
a great summary (and continues to pose provocative questions) on his own blog. Those whose invitations were somehow lost in the mail can play fly-on-the-wall by
watching the keynotes, paging through the
Flickr pool of envymaking glimpses of their behind-the-scenes lab and collections tours, reading the
blog (where Bruce Wyman of the Denver Art Museum lays out
a succinct road map for museums using social media), and poking around in the SI's
website gallery. Want to cheer on the USA's favorite 163-year-old
"Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge" without taking the trip to DC? Thanks to their recent efforts, you can now follow the SI on
Twitter, listen to its
podcasts, watch its
YouTube channel, visit the
Latino Virtual Museum in Second Life, or use the
FaceBook gifts page to send your best friends their very own pair of Dorothy's
ruby slippers,
Hope diamond,
Negro Leagues baseball, or
coelocanth.
posted by Miko
on Feb 27, 2009 -
13 comments
Remember old D&D? What, 3rd edition? Pah! Not 2nd edition AD&D either, nor 1st edition. Not even "original" Basic/Expert/Companion/Master/Immortal. I'm talking
really original D&D, based off of Chainmail wargaming rules.
OD&D! Read about it at
Delta's D&D Hotspot, which discusses the development of a game system that is almost 35 years old.
[more inside]
posted by JHarris
on Mar 11, 2008 -
23 comments
The Top 10 Geekiest Yarn Creations If you've ever felt knitting was in danger of getting
too sexy these days, the people at
Threadbanger have provided an antidote. They've compiled a list of the ten geekiest projects on the net, which include an Atari 2600 system
(on which you will never max your Pac-Man score), a knitted Hogwarts
(though it appears to actually be crocheted and needlepointed), and a scrollbar scarf. And if anyone wants a crocheted yoda hat and matching light sabre, I am not taking orders.
posted by orange swan
on Jun 3, 2007 -
41 comments
Judd Apatow's Family Values A look inside the comedic mind that brought us "Freaks and Geeks", "Undeclared", and "The 40 Year Old Virgin".
Apatow’s childhood hero was Steve Martin. On a summer trip to L.A., Apatow persuaded his grandparents to drive by Martin’s home until Apatow spied his hero in the driveway. Martin wouldn’t give him an autograph, so Apatow wrote him an angry letter saying it was his patronage of Martin’s projects that allowed him to live the high life. A few weeks later, Martin sent Apatow a copy of his book “Cruel Shoes” with an apology: “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was speaking to the Judd Apatow.”
Also:
Judd and Seth Rogen at play.
posted by ColdChef
on May 27, 2007 -
33 comments
Slate Remembers Nerd Camp. I'd thought all parents everywhere were sending their kids to turn-pro-at-18 camp now, but it seems that CTY is bigger than ever. (Albeit subject to
accusations that the standards have been watered down.)
posted by MattD
on Jul 21, 2006 -
76 comments
This 'How Geeky Are You?' quiz illustrates how geekdom today means something completely different from what it used to. Out with unwashed hair and actually programming, in with mindless purchase of consumer goods.
posted by splitpeasoup
on Apr 4, 2006 -
65 comments
Dunegon Majesty! In what must be an accomplishment worthy of The Gygax himself, this guy found four girls willing to not only play D&D, but brave enough to be filmed while doing so. The fact that they're also willing to dress up as their characters is just icing on the cake. Be sure to check out the
teaser video and learn a little something about courage!
posted by robocop is bleeding
on Oct 19, 2004 -
27 comments
I stumbled on
The Geek Test today. Very comprehensive (measures more than just technical geekiness). What's your score?
posted by tbc
on May 29, 2004 -
95 comments
