Good and Geeky or Bad and Geeky

Taking the good and geeky too far

I like geeky stuff but I am a realist about it and I want the tech to improve my life. I have noticed some geeks of the world go a bit too far an exhibit extreme geekiness. Listening to a podcast lately in which the podcast hosts chat about Apple tech. It is often interesting due to information they come up with about using iOS and the Mac. This is mostly due to the Italian guy who is a proponent of using the iPad as his main computer. He really does do just about everything with the iPad Pro. Federico shows he can get it all done with the latest iOS operating system and the fantastic apps available. This is the Good and Geeky side of the podcast. The Bad and Geeky is the obsessions of the other hosts. One has a collection of all the iMacs Apple have made. Some are basically the same machine but in different colours. Why would anyone need to have an old computer and duplicated in the Bondai Blue and other colours? The computers are not really going to get used as the operating system is out of date. All you can do is to put them on a shelf and look at them. People will look at you and think you’ve taken leave of your senses. The good and geeky person will be finding new ways to use technology to get things done. The proper geek will revel in having tech solve problems in real life. The other podcast has his equivalent of the stamp collection or beer bottle top collection in the form of pens. Everyone needs a hobby I suppose.

Obsessing on the details

Same three bunch of podcasters will buy multiple keyboards and be obsessive about the amount of travel of the keys. The layout of the keys is super interesting so they have to have one with a British layout and another with the US layout. It could be they are going into to depth as tech reporters and experiencing these keyboards for the benefit of the listeners. On the other hand they could be going over the top in the geek department. They talk for ages on the subject when normal people just get a keyboard and gets on with it. Doing real life stuff and adapting to the hardware they’ve got.

The Apple fanboys

The Apple fanboys can talk the hind legs off a donkey when it comes to discussing the intentions of the computer company. Making guesses about the why and how Apple have implemented some tech. Often the Apple podcasters will talk for hours on stuff Apple might do. Rumours are circulated and the Apple fan boys obsess on things that may never happen. While doing this pronouncements are made like, “That’s not the way Apple does things”. Non of these fan boys have any idea because they don’t have access to the decision makers in Apple. It seems daft to waste time discussing any of the rumours and much better to wait until proper announcements are made, tech is presented to the public and there is something concrete to pull apart.

Getting excited over nothing – In the latest Operating system upgrades coming macOS Sierra and iOS 10 some twiddly bits are being added to the messages apps. I have been amazed at the level of excitement by the Apple podcasters. There is nothing earth shattering about fluffy additions to make messages look pretty. No major changes to how the basics of how we communicate and the Apple commentators have been apoplectic in discussing the changes. Technology does have the possibility to change lives by making things easier and better. I suppose adding some richness to the communication system could be handy. I wonder how it will all work out in the real world when the new operating system updates are rolled out to the public? At least we can say how much better it is now we all have these computers in our pockets. I remember when I had to leave the house and walk fifty metres to get to the public telephone box down the road. Maybe that’s why I love being Good and Geeky.