Re: Tired of being called a geek?

[Quoted] First. Not that it matters, but as a geek (sometimes refered to as geek-asaurus-rex, or cybergod or whatever the vogue non-pc-phrase for the engineers is that week), I would like to point out that one primary reason "engineers" are not consulted as often as might be optimal, is because $$$$$$$$. Engineers are a prideful lot. We actually expect to be paid for our trouble. Show me a cheap engineer and I'll show you a sloppy project.

Second. Get a thicker skin. Or get a raise. Whine all the way to the bank. Carpe Punicea!

Third: Bottom line there is if you want respect from the press and media, you will probably be disappointed. We have a great deal to contribute to the betterment of society and the human condition, they know it, and we know it. They just don't get it when we explain it, and don't believe it when they get it. Add to their low order of chemical-electrical activity, that the media are out for excitement, not the tedium of good, solid engineering. You and I may know who engineered gyroscopic navigation, but the media would have to look up "navigation" in the dictionary so they could spell it properly, nevermind about the gyroscope part. Thus the media, disadvantaged as they are from lesser genetic materials, rely on their only means of defense, sarcasm and ridicule, the last refuge of the weaker mind. Or to put it another way. We can write sarcastic articles on the state of the polical malaise of the middle class. Can the media design a three tiered web application that allows remote access to secure publishing tools from Kabul? I think not. We can comment on the return of Michael Jordan and its implications to a world wide entertainment extraveganza where mindless men run back and forth in their underwear to the screams and delights of the rich fools who pay the extortion money for the priviledge of watching such displays with painted faces and drunken companions. I'm betting that not a single one of the media would have the foggiest clue on what kind of communications network, hardware, security and protocols would be necessary in order to ensure that a airliner being operated from the control tower is not at risk for an unauthorised person to hijack a plane by remote control. To you and I this is engineering. To the media it is star trek. I vote for leaving the media to wallow in their own ignorance. They are meerly commentary on a world they do not understand.

Finally: This is not unique. It is also not a point in time when the media will change their attitudes or perspectives on geekdom or anything else. The media are lazy hounds. Why did the pentagon have to squash a leak of classified information? Because the media is not smart enough to understand what is classified, what is misinformation and what is just plain dangerous. It was an easy story. It landed in their laps. Geeks are easy targets. So why do you care? I guarantee that when the time comes and the leader of the free world has defined the goal of removing the plague of terrorism, he will want sophisticated hardware to go after the cowards. The media, in the meantime, will have moved on to next rap singer's rap sheet. Who will the Joint Chiefs call in for cool toys to sneak up on the bad guys? The New York Times? CNBC? I think not. A satellite dish may get you the scores of all the games. But the satellites that can guide a tomahak missle to a laser tagged target from 1000 miles out and miss the recon marines with infared night vision helmets and uplink securelines, now there's a toy. Let's just remember who fights the wars, who arms the warriors and who sings the songs. Terrorists don't pay much attention to songs.

Russell Received on Thu Oct 11 2001 - 23:09:32 CEST