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In lugnet.general, Jeff Shiner writes:
> In lugnet.general, Kevin Loch writes:
> > Netslaves has an article about geeks and their toys. It mentions
> > LEGO too.
> >
> > http://www.netslaves.com/comments/979826937.shtml
>
> Are the majority of AFOLs geeks? Or... more to the point...
>
> What variety of occupations/interests does the Lugnet community and AFOLs in
> general represent?
A geek? Moi?
I guess. Exactly what distinguishes a geek from an "ordinary" nerd? :^)
My occupation? Pretty geeky, yep. Research biologist. Presently a
postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, studying molecules of the
immune system. Before entering graduate school, I worked for a medical
instrumentation company. My job description encompassed both biology and
instrument design, so I had to do some optics, electronics, and computer
programming as well. I want to teach college, and run my own lab some day.
But do I collect toys rabidly, as described in the Netslaves article? Not
really, except for Lego. Even then, my consumption is pretty light compared
to many of you folks. I'm also not one of those people who fetishizes unopened
boxes of rare Lego sets. I buy parts, and I put 'em to work.
In my pre-teenage years I spent a few hundred bucks on a coin collection, then
mostly lost interest. I have purchased some equipment for my (presently
slumbering) computer music hobby, but do not hunger for more. I haven't gotten
everything I can out of what I already own. My house is mostly clean and
relatively empty. You can see the floor in every room! :^)
I do know a *consummate* geek back in California. He's an elecronics
engineer. He's always in debt. His house *and yard* are crammed full of
"treasures," mostly discarded electronics fab equipment and decaying auto parts
from unusual vehicles. He spends a *lot* of time at yard sales. O.K., I have
*thought* about cruising the yard-sale circuit in the hopes of finding some
Lego, but I haven't fallen that far yet! :^)
My next geeky pursuit will be a photovoltaic power system for our house back in
California -- when we get back there, that is.
--
John J. Ladasky Jr., Ph.D.
Department of Biology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD 21218
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Geeks and Toys on Netslaves
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| (...) back of my mind for awhile now. Are the majority of AFOLs geeks? Or... more to the point... What variety of occupations/interests does the Lugnet community and AFOLs in general represent? I for instance... am a geek... I am a Development (...) (24 years ago, 19-Jan-01, to lugnet.general, lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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