Geeks Are Not Whiny Elitists, They Are The Root of Our Society
The idea geeks are whiny punk kids are merely people thinking today’s whiny punk kids are geeks, and this is simply not true.
There has been a lot of heated debate on digg and reddit regarding the article I wrote, A Note To Employers: 8 Things Intelligent People, Geeks and Nerds Need To Work Happily.
This debate has really made me realize that geeks may be slightly misjudged.
We have been accused of being:
Introverted socially inept loosers
Prim Donna elitist as*holes
Whiny babies who want to be treated special
First, my goal in writing the piece was to communicate something I think about a lot. People, in general, should be happy at their jobs.
Lets do something to help add some clarity to this situation. I normally do not like doing this, buy lets divide the world up into two groups (I know, I know), with a whole lot of gray area in between that will hold the majority of the people. Lets label these two groups, “people who do what they love” and “people who do something because its a job and they do not really care too much what it is as long as they are paid enough to get by.”
I know, broad generalizations are playing with fire, but for simplicities sake lets just discuss these two groups and all the gray area in between.
“People who do what they love”
These people love what they do so much, it’s just that: it’s what they do. Some do other things, some don’t, but they all love it so much it’s almost impossible to describe. You know who I’m talking about: doctors who live at the hospital and spend every waking moment they are not saving lives learning how they can save more lives; the piano player who has stub fingers and barely weighs 100 pounds because she sits at their piano all day; the golfer who plays everyday and still smiles every time he takes a swing; the computer geek who will work 5 nights straight until he finds a bug before giving up; the news geek who reads 350 articles a day… These people can love more than one thing to this degree, although this is very rare.
Ok, now all the way on the other side of the spectrum, past all the gray area, are “people who do something because its a job and don’t really care too much what it is as long as they are paid enough to get by.” A lot of these people have great work ethics, a lot work sun up till sun down, just like their father and grandfather, of course some don’t, but they all work for one reason (ok, mostly one): to go home after work and do something else. To watch TV and relax, to go for walks or work out, to read a book, to be with family, to… well “live life.”
A “geek” is someone who lives so much in the “does what they love” category it’s almost scary. They eat, breathe and live it, because they love it. They absorb everything in thier area of expertise and strive to innovate and make things better. To quote a commenter on my last post, “They’re a weird, irreverent, eclectic bunch… but they do make the modern world tick.” I do not even have to list names of intellectual giants like Plato, Da Vinci, Gandhi, Franklin or modern day business giants like Gates, Jobs, Brin and Paige, for you to understand the type of person I am talking about. These people were geeks, through and through.
Now, I am not saying that every computer geek is in the running with these greats, however, geeks are the type of people that lean toward this extreme. They love what they do so much its their life, and they love it this way. They work extremely hard, not because they have to, but because they want to.
In the business world, people that lean in this direction tend to be some of your best employees and most valuable assets. They do whatever they have to do to get the job done.
These people have always been the most valuable asset, long before computers.
With this logic, there is such a thing as a “Customer Service Geek,” “Sales Geek” or even (maybe) a “Janitorial Geek.” There are also computer guys that are non-geeks and so forth.
Also to note, this is not to say geeks cannot detach from what they do. On the contrary, really talented geeks I know are able to detach from what they do and relax, be with family and otherwise do things that are part of what many call “a normal life.” Most talented geeks I know are also really into socializing; maybe they prefer to socialize with people of equal passion and drive to excel, but they seem to be handling socializing and the real world just fine.
Now that “Geek” has been more accurately defined (at least for this purpose), I’ll summarize why it is important for geeks to be happy in the work force (see the debate at digg and reddit to hear what others had to say).
Being that geeks are your most valuable team members, they work when they have to, are always learning and trying to innovate - they are generally happier people (because they are doing what they love). It also means you should do whatever it takes to make these people happy, within reason of course. People have to be present during some meetings, its just the way it is; people who speak on the phone with customers during business hours will have to be available on the phone during business hours. Each circumstance is unique, there is always a specific need you have of an employee (sometimes it changes, and you’ll find happy team members willing to help out in other areas, especially if is a start up or just a small team). This need is communicated to them when you hire them.
Geeks should ask for what they need to be happy at work. Employers should be willing to compromise in any reasonable area, and in fact, the more they compromise, the more everyone wins (happier employees equals higher productivity).
Something employers today need to keep in mind (and yes, great employers today already do this), is that in the technological world we live in, much more is possible than what used to be. There are tools in place to communicate and collaborate with that make virtual offices not only possible but successful. Video and voice conferencing applications like skype, web based project management tools like basecamp, presentation tools like webex and online collaboration vehicles like thinkature make virtual meetings, team management and collaboration possible and effective.
Employers and employees should not follow arbitrary rules set a long time ago, and instead, question each situation to figure out what is best for your employee’s.
To close, I think about how a lot of the working world is not happy with their job. I think about the passionate people who are damn good at what they do, yet are unappreciated.
I would like to recommend to these people that they strive to be happy, find a new job if they do not like their current one, and be willing to stand up for what they need to be happy.
Would you rather live the life you want all the time or only part of it?
And again, as a reminder to employers:
#1. Let them work when they want
#2. Let them work where they want
#3. Let them control their lighting
#4. Let them wear headphones
#5. Do not expect them to wear a suit
#6. Do not make them participate in company events (unless you are sure it is geek-friendly)
#7. Do not hold a lot of arbitrary meetings that could have otherwise been handled through email or IM
#8. Do not make them do anything other than work
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March 13th, 2007 12:49
I thought your original article was spot on. I fit into the geek category. I get engorssed in things, I’ll work and work until something distracts me (Usually hunger or a huge need to go to the loo). THen ill come back and work again for the saem amount of time.
However, I agree with some of the points made at the begining of your article…
“We have been accused of being:
Introverted socially inept loosers
Prim Donna elitist as*holes
Whiny babies who want to be treated special”
These are right, but not exactly spot on. I appear socially introverted because I dont want to tear my eyes from the lines of code in front of me just because you need paper for the printer. I get stroppy when u do things that I dislike, this is usually because you dont understand the amount of work I put in and the amount of effort some things take. And yeah, we sometimes whine, sometimes we complain just as much as you do about the fact that the printer is out of paper.
Its all a matter of perspective.
Also, you have the longest blogroll in teh w()rld!!
March 13th, 2007 13:01
I completely agree with this and the 8 things post. Perhaps employers should look at these 8 things and apply them to all employees. Why not do things to make everyone more of a “geek” in their work?
Yep, I’m a geek. I work from my home office (which is too small for a couch, which I’ve always wanted in my office), I live onlne, but I do like to live in the real world and chat with friends.
Since I just found this and the 8 things article I haven’t caught up on the flack you’ve caught, but I can say that the 8 things are bang on.
March 13th, 2007 13:29
“Why not do things to make everyone more of a “geek” in their work?”
I agree this should be considered, however, in my experience it seems rare that a non-geek is willing to become one, although there are always excpetions.
As for the comments, I am not surprised there were both extreme views. Its the nature of the beast.
March 13th, 2007 16:18
Wow, your last two posts have been SO true! After reading the “8 Things” post I’ve decided to frequently check out your blog. Instantly drew me in. Everything you said is very true, and I feel that if even schools adopted some of your points our educational system would be all the better!
March 13th, 2007 17:18
Emote - thank you for the kind words, I am glad my take on things ring true with you. If you ever have any suggestions for topics that strike your interest just drop me a line.
March 13th, 2007 20:02
I completely agree on what you have said.
http://aniz.wordpress.com
March 14th, 2007 17:08
I have a rather unique perspective on both these posts. I didn’t enter IT until I was 50, had held a number of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs, and I’m a women to boot. Now I manage a small ISP, so my feet are in both worlds.. the “geeks” and the “suits”.
There isn’t a reason in the world why a programmer should ever have to wear a suit. Same for phone support. On the other hand, if your job calls for you to interface with customers or clients a nod to convention helps. At least wear khakis and a collared polo shirt, and I’d really rather the pink hair was saved for clubbing.
All the rest of the points you made, particularly the lighting are just good common sense for everyone. You don’t have to be one of the IT people to have to spend 8 hours a day looking at a computer screen, just ask the customer support folks.
You guys (and ladies) think you need coffee and soda? As one of the admin assistants found out this morning DO NOT SPEAK to me till I’ve had one cup (and mind you I’ve already had 1/2 a pot at home) Again, it’s a matter of being comfortable enough to focus, something everyone in any organization needs.
Work anyplace any time?? That one is tough. Sys admins have to work such odd hours so as to not disrupt everyone else, programmers should probably work whatever fits their own internal clock (which will result in fewer bugs guaranteed ) but if you need to provide support you have to be around when the users are.
Company events? Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way. Never ask geeks to contribute to a potluck, not one of them knows how to cook. However every single one of them will shell out 5 bucks for pizza or subs. Problem solved. (Except for the company Christmas party, which should be outlawed anyway).
I see the point of headphones , just please don’t use them as an excuse for ignoring me when I’m standing at you desk. In my case at least I’m smart enough to know you don’t want to be disturbed and I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t important.
Any meeting that runs over 30 minutes is a waste of everybody’s time not just the IT departments. However please check you email and or calendar at least 3 times a day so you have a clue.
So there you have it from both sides now.
March 15th, 2007 01:30
You sir, are a genuis! Added to my feedreader, keep up the amazing posts.
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March 15th, 2007 07:35
I read both articles and was impressed totally. I agree 100%. I’m not an IT guy, but am an engineering records geek who sits in front of a computer for 8 hours a day, sometimes more, to get the work done.
March 21st, 2007 08:57
[…] Hillel admits he never wants to stop working. He works because he loves it. This is exactly what my definition of a Geek is. He also shares my view on living the life you want now. This is also a part of a philosophy of […]
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