Pragmatic Geek » meta http://greatdanephotos.com/geek Take a step back from the bleeding edge Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:38:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Fixing the blog subtitle http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/2009/01/blog-subtitle/ http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/2009/01/blog-subtitle/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:23:17 +0000 ben http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/?p=43 An early comment in this blog by my dad took issue with my subtitle, “Applying and using technology when you lack the desire or resources to be an Alpha Geek.”  Specifically, I can’t really blame a lack of resources on my non-alpha geek status.  Yes, I suppose if I wanted, I could certainly get to the top of the geek toy ladder.

(Perhaps I was thinking of the tautology of “time is money,” because with two young boys around, I don’t value spending the hours it takes to fiddle with the new tech.)

Anyway, the first post covers my thoughts on being a Pragmatic Geek.  To me, being Alpha is about having things - the latest gadget, software, or programming framework.  And from there, it is assembling those things into a broader digital life.  Using that definition, I don’t qualify.  I had my last cell phone for almost 3.5 years, before jumping on the iPhone bandwagon (1.5 years after it launched).

However, before I get nipped for false modesty, I did a little research on the term “alpha geek,” and maybe I’ll change my subtitle even more.  I do enjoy keeping an awareness of the trends, even if I don’t jump on them with time or money.  So I’ll leave it up to the reader to form their opinion of what tier of geek I am.  I’m just happy being a Pragmatic Geek.

]]> http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/2009/01/blog-subtitle/feed/ 0 The Beginning http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/2008/11/the-beginning/ http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/2008/11/the-beginning/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:05:49 +0000 ben http://greatdanephotos.com/geek/?p=3 I’ve named this blog “Pragmatic Geek.”  At my core, I’m a pragmatist, and these are thoughts about how that overlaps with being a geek.  (I’m also a realistic enough to realize that my thoughts aren’t that unique, and this could likely be “another blog.”)

Pragmatic: concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory

Geek: an expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers.

As a pragmatic geek, I

  • don’t dig into every latest buzzword.  The “new” is often just a rebranded “old.”  Rich Internet Apps are just yesterday’s green screens.
  • don’t covet the latest gadgets.  There’s a tradeoff between blowing your money on the latest, when the last generation stuff ends up collecting dust after it has lots its “shininess.”
  • wait for convergence.  I don’t want to carry one of every device with me, but I’ll be ecstatic when I can get a two-fer. (or three-fer)
  • demand good design.  Technology should be enjoyable to use on many fronts, not just because it does the job faster than the competition.
  • require a good return on “investment.”  Investment is in quotes, since it’s not just about cash, it’s about the effort spent to get the return.  

I welcome you to link to the RSS, and see the updates as they happen.  

-benJ

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