There are two kinds of people in today’s high speed, high tech world. Those who admit they are geeks, and those who don’t. Because while we don’t all have masters’ degrees from MIT, we are doing crazy geek things, like buying PCs and iPads in unexpectedly large numbers.
We don’t just love technology, we’re addicted to it. Everything we do, from trading complex financial derivatives to ordering a cappuccino, relies on a computer to make it happen. It’s been said many times before, but we’re all geeks now.
Like it or not, you belong to the former category. You know, or at least have an inkling, that you’re a geek. After all, you care enough about gadgets and technology to actually visit a website dedicated to them. Admit it to yourself, and you’ll be better off for it.
Then go out and spread the word, and use these arguments to convince your friends likewise.
Non-geeks get ripped off
Understanding technology saves you money. Whether it’s building and maintaining you’re own PC, knowing where to look for free software or just being able to find an online bargain, the more you know about computers the better off you are. Of course, get too addicted and you can end up spending a fortune on gadgets you don’t really need, but no-one’s perfect.
You can do it yourself
Even though many of us have had computers in the home for the last 30 years, there’s still an air of perceived complexity about them that there isn’t when it comes to, say, a vacuum cleaner. How many people know how to empty a dust bag without getting the content on the carpet or can replace a broken drive belt, yet profess an inability to do something simple like download a new driver? It’s a self-imposed mental block that’s easily overcome just by understanding this fact: changing a graphics card is considerably easier than cooking a Sunday roast. Yes, it really is.
It’s not just PCs you know
Naturally when it comes to this site we tend to have a PC-centric view of what entails new technology, but geeks aren’t selective and neither should you be. Read up on how Blu-ray or H.264 work, for example, and the next thing you know, your TV picture will be better.
You’ve never even visited the real internet
Yeah, we know. People are always mailing you the coolest links, like the cat that can stand on its back legs! That’s so cool, isn’t it? No, no it really isn’t. Learn to use geeks’ friends StumbleUpon or Digg and you’ll find there’s far better, more interesting content out there that’s only marginally harder to find. Like the fact the US army is printing skin, yes, real skin, with ink jet printers. It’s not cute or funny, but it’s a lot more worthwhile.
Computers are running the world
This is not paranoia. You are already living in the age of Skynet. Forget politicians, it’s computers that run the world. Whether it’s making a fortune on the stock market by tracking moving shares to the thousandth of a second, or tracking the popularity of a politician in realtime, the world now depends on insanely fast calculations to function. And the results of these calculations are used to make Big Decisions. Like your tax rates, or whether or not to send food to the starving. Not taking an interest in these things istantamount to not voting. Don’t be complacent and pretend you could never understand.