Geek Code
Encyclopedia
The Geek Code is a series of letters and symbols used by self-described "geek
s" to inform fellow geeks about their personality
, appearance, interests, and opinions. The idea is that everything that makes a geek individual
and different from all the other geeks in the world can be written down (encode
d) in this very compact format. Then other geeks can read the geek code and work back from that to discover what the writer looks like, what interests s/he has, and so forth. This is deemed to be efficient
in some sufficiently geeky manner.
Once created, geeks can use their geek codes anywhere they please. Previous places include email
s, website
s, letters, art
, programming language
comments, and even T-shirt
s. Nowadays, personal websites are the most common breeding ground, particularly any "about me" sections.
s (Goth Code) and even the Schlock Mercenary
webcomic.
A few years before the Geek Code was published, similar codes existed for other purposes. The Natural Bears Classification System
is a very similar code for the Bear community. Like the Geek Code, it generally uses a single letter for the attribute and + or - signs for the grade. It was inspired by the Yerkes spectral classification system for describing stars. Unlike the Geek Code, this spectral classification system uses classes, subclasses & peculiarities for categorization. These systems differ in their orthogonality
, the Geek Code is very orthogonal in the computer science sense (may be projected
onto basis vectors), where the Yerkes system is very orthogonal in the taxonomic sense (represent mutually exclusive classes
).
In some parts of the net, it was once common practice to use a geek code as one's signature
, though those times are now long past. One of the consequences of being so old in such a fast-moving field is that much of the geek code now looks rather dated. The World Wide Web
is described as "relatively new and little understood" — while the latter may still be accurate, the former certainly isn't.
Hayden's own geek code is:
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
GED/J d--
s:++>:
a--
C++(++++)
ULU++
P+
L++
E----
W+(-)
N+++
o+
K+++ w---
O-
M+ V--
PS++>$ PE++>$
Y++
PGP++
t-
5+++
X++
R+++>$
tv+
b+
DI+++
D+++ G+++++ e++
h
r--
y++**
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Some alternatives have also been proposed. For example, the Acorn Code was a version specific to users of Acorn
's RISC OS
computers.
. Within the Geek Code Block there is a line specifying the version of Geek Code being used. The next line starts with the letter
, then the geek code proper begins. For geeks with multiple occupations, a slash or slashes is or are used:
. The geek code's author has this to say about Star Trek:
Meanwhile, the lower-case letter
The geekcode website at geekcode.com contains the complete list of categories, along with all the special syntax options. The choice of categories (from version 3 onwards) reflects what geeks consider important. Appearance takes up three categories, computer
s - thirteen, computer-related politics
- two, general politics - two, computer-related interests - six, other interests - three, lifestyle and sex
- four.
On the other hand, someone who puts
marks as modifiers. For example, an
sign implies the geek is in the enviable position of being paid for their work in this category.
on Usenet
and email
. Pete Williams wrote a program called ungeek.pl that automatically decoded a geek code into the English definitions. In late 1998, Bradley M. Kuhn
made Williams' program available as a web service. Joe Reiss made a similar page available in October 1999.
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
s" to inform fellow geeks about their personality
Personality psychology
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and individual differences. Its areas of focus include:* Constructing a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes...
, appearance, interests, and opinions. The idea is that everything that makes a geek individual
Individual
An individual is a person or any specific object or thing in a collection. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Being self expressive...
and different from all the other geeks in the world can be written down (encode
Encode
Encode may refer to:* Can be related to "Code"* Encode ApS, a Danish software company* Encode SA, a Greek information security company* ENCODE, the ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements...
d) in this very compact format. Then other geeks can read the geek code and work back from that to discover what the writer looks like, what interests s/he has, and so forth. This is deemed to be efficient
Algorithmic efficiency
In computer science, efficiency is used to describe properties of an algorithm relating to how much of various types of resources it consumes. Algorithmic efficiency can be thought of as analogous to engineering productivity for a repeating or continuous process, where the goal is to reduce...
in some sufficiently geeky manner.
Once created, geeks can use their geek codes anywhere they please. Previous places include email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s, website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s, letters, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, programming language
Programming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
comments, and even T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s. Nowadays, personal websites are the most common breeding ground, particularly any "about me" sections.
History
The Geek Code was invented by Robert A. Hayden in 1993 and is defined at geekcode.com. This concept is used in many other occupations and groups such as gothGoth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
s (Goth Code) and even the Schlock Mercenary
Schlock Mercenary
Schlock Mercenary is a comedic webcomic written and drawn by Howard Tayler. It follows the tribulations of a star-travelling mercenary company in a satiric, mildly dystopian 31st-century space opera setting...
webcomic.
A few years before the Geek Code was published, similar codes existed for other purposes. The Natural Bears Classification System
The Natural Bears Classification System
The Natural Bears Classification System , also called the bear code, is a set of symbols using letters, numbers and other characters commonly found on modern, Western computer keyboards, and used for the self-identification of those who self-identify as "bears" in the sense of a mature gay or...
is a very similar code for the Bear community. Like the Geek Code, it generally uses a single letter for the attribute and + or - signs for the grade. It was inspired by the Yerkes spectral classification system for describing stars. Unlike the Geek Code, this spectral classification system uses classes, subclasses & peculiarities for categorization. These systems differ in their orthogonality
Orthogonality
Orthogonality occurs when two things can vary independently, they are uncorrelated, or they are perpendicular.-Mathematics:In mathematics, two vectors are orthogonal if they are perpendicular, i.e., they form a right angle...
, the Geek Code is very orthogonal in the computer science sense (may be projected
Projection (linear algebra)
In linear algebra and functional analysis, a projection is a linear transformation P from a vector space to itself such that P2 = P. It leaves its image unchanged....
onto basis vectors), where the Yerkes system is very orthogonal in the taxonomic sense (represent mutually exclusive classes
Class (computer science)
In object-oriented programming, a class is a construct that is used as a blueprint to create instances of itself – referred to as class instances, class objects, instance objects or simply objects. A class defines constituent members which enable these class instances to have state and behavior...
).
In some parts of the net, it was once common practice to use a geek code as one's signature
Signature block
A signature block is a block of text automatically appended at the bottom of an e-mail message, Usenet article, or forum post. This has the effect of "signing off" the message and in a reply message of indicating that no more response follows...
, though those times are now long past. One of the consequences of being so old in such a fast-moving field is that much of the geek code now looks rather dated. The World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
is described as "relatively new and little understood" — while the latter may still be accurate, the former certainly isn't.
Hayden's own geek code is:
GED/J d--
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
s:++>:
Human anatomy
Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye...
a--
Ageing
Ageing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...
C++(++++)
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
ULU++
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
P+
Perl
Perl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Perl was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many changes and revisions and become widely popular...
L++
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
E----
Emacs
Emacs is a class of text editors, usually characterized by their extensibility. GNU Emacs has over 1,000 commands. It also allows the user to combine these commands into macros to automate work.Development began in the mid-1970s and continues actively...
W+(-)
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
N+++
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
o+
Internet Oracle
The Internet Oracle is an effort at collective humor in a pseudo-Socratic question-and-answer format....
K+++ w---
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
O-
OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
M+ V--
OpenVMS
OpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is a computer server operating system that runs on VAX, Alpha and Itanium-based families of computers. Contrary to what its name suggests, OpenVMS is not open source software; however, the source listings are available for purchase...
PS++>$ PE++>$
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
Y++
Cypherpunk
A cypherpunk is an activist advocating widespread use of strong cryptography as a route to social and political change.Originally communicating through the Cypherpunks electronic mailing list, informal groups aimed to achieve privacy and security through proactive use of cryptography...
PGP++
Pretty Good Privacy
Pretty Good Privacy is a data encryption and decryption computer program that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication. PGP is often used for signing, encrypting and decrypting texts, E-mails, files, directories and whole disk partitions to increase the security...
t-
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
5+++
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
X++
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
R+++>$
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
tv+
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
b+
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
DI+++
Dilbert
Dilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
D+++ G+++++ e++
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
h
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
r--
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
y++**
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
Development
Some revival attempts have been made since the Geek Code 3.12 became obsolete. See external links. The most faithful adaptation is the Geek Code 3.20 built end-of-2010 which aims at creating a permablock for all kind of Geeks.Some alternatives have also been proposed. For example, the Acorn Code was a version specific to users of Acorn
Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers Ltd. was a British computer company established in Cambridge, England, in 1978. The company produced a number of computers which were especially popular in the UK. These included the Acorn Electron, the BBC Micro, and the Acorn Archimedes...
's RISC OS
RISC OS
RISC OS is a computer operating system originally developed by Acorn Computers Ltd in Cambridge, England for their range of desktop computers, based on their own ARM architecture. First released in 1987, under the name Arthur, the subsequent iteration was renamed as in 1988...
computers.
Format
The Geek Code Block formatting, which is optional (though not in Robert Hayden's opinion), is a parody of the output produced by the encryption program PGPPretty Good Privacy
Pretty Good Privacy is a data encryption and decryption computer program that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication. PGP is often used for signing, encrypting and decrypting texts, E-mails, files, directories and whole disk partitions to increase the security...
. Within the Geek Code Block there is a line specifying the version of Geek Code being used. The next line starts with the letter
G (for Geek) followed by the Geek's occupation(s): GMU for a geek of musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, then the geek code proper begins. For geeks with multiple occupations, a slash or slashes is or are used:
GMD/TW, for instance, for a geek of medicine and technical writing. There are 24 occupations that can be represented and 4 special indicators:GO- Geek of other, for occupations that can't be represented normally.GU- Geek of undecided.G!- Geek of no qualifications.GAT- Geek of all trades, for those who can do anything.
Categories
There are a number of letters in the geek code, each of which represent a category. So, the lower-case lettert represents Star TrekStar Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. The geek code's author has this to say about Star Trek:
- "Most geeks have an undeniable love for the Star Trek television show. Because geek is often synonymous with trekkieTrekkieA Trekkie or Trekker is a fan of the Star Trek franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise.-History:In 1967, science fiction editor Arthur W...
, it is important that all geeks list their Trek rating."
Meanwhile, the lower-case letter
r represents relationships. Geeks are less associated with relationships than they are with Star Trek, and the geek code says this about them:- "While many geeks are highly successful at having relationships, a good many more are not. Give us the gritty details."
The geekcode website at geekcode.com contains the complete list of categories, along with all the special syntax options. The choice of categories (from version 3 onwards) reflects what geeks consider important. Appearance takes up three categories, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s - thirteen, computer-related politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
- two, general politics - two, computer-related interests - six, other interests - three, lifestyle and sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
- four.
Category-specific modifiers
Although some categories have special syntax, generally each category is followed by a series of+ or - signs showing how much the geek agrees or disagrees with the category. For example, t+++ indicates a geek who thinks this about Star Trek:- "I know all about warp field dynamicsWarp drive (Star Trek)Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...
and the principles behind the transporterTransporter (Star Trek)A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
. I have memorized the TECH manual. I speak KlingonKlingon languageThe Klingon language is the constructed language spoken by the fictional Klingons in the Star Trek universe....
. I go to cons with VulcanVulcan (Star Trek)Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
ears on."
On the other hand, someone who puts
r--- in their geek code feels the following way about relationships:- "I'm beginning to think that I'm a leper or something, the way people avoid me like the plague."
Modifiers
The meaning of each category can be changed in subtle or not-so-subtle ways using punctuationPunctuation
Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud.In written English, punctuation is vital to disambiguate the meaning of sentences...
marks as modifiers. For example, an
@ after a category means that the geek's feelings on this category are not very rigid and can change with time, while a dollarDollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
sign implies the geek is in the enviable position of being paid for their work in this category.
Decoding a Geek Code
Originally, geek codes were designed as a quick reference about a geek's preferences for use in .sig filesSignature block
A signature block is a block of text automatically appended at the bottom of an e-mail message, Usenet article, or forum post. This has the effect of "signing off" the message and in a reply message of indicating that no more response follows...
on Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
and email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
. Pete Williams wrote a program called ungeek.pl that automatically decoded a geek code into the English definitions. In late 1998, Bradley M. Kuhn
Bradley M. Kuhn
Bradley M. Kuhn is a free software activist from the United States.Kuhn is currently Executive Director of the Software Freedom Conservancy. Until 2010 he was the FLOSS Community Liaison and Technology Director of the Software Freedom Law Center . He previously served as the Executive Director of...
made Williams' program available as a web service. Joe Reiss made a similar page available in October 1999.
See also
- Leet Speak
- New Speak
- The Natural Bears Classification SystemThe Natural Bears Classification SystemThe Natural Bears Classification System , also called the bear code, is a set of symbols using letters, numbers and other characters commonly found on modern, Western computer keyboards, and used for the self-identification of those who self-identify as "bears" in the sense of a mature gay or...
- A similar code for bear-like men which preceded the geek code by years
External links
- Robert Hayden's official Geek Code web site (presenting v3.12)
- Dane Jasper's presentation of the Geek Code v2.1
- Create your own Geek code
- Eri "Rei" Izawa's presentation of the Geek Code v1.0.1
- Dylan Northrup's The Geek Code Generator (web interface)
- Chris Gushue's Geek Code Generator (source code available; for various platforms)
- NMR's Geek Code 3.12 CODEC (source code available; only tested on DOS and Windows so far)
- Joe Reiss' Geek Decoder (translates geek code into English)
- Martin Mares' Geek Code Decoder (web interface; source code available; also translates the Furry Code)
- Greg Webster's OmniCode (a suggested replacement for the Geek Code)
- Chris Allegretta's Hacker Key Guide (another suggested replacement for the Geek Code)
- VGR's GeekCode 3.20 (online coder/decoder for Geek Code 3.12 (1996, Hayden) and Geek Code 3.20 (proposed evolution for 2010+, VGR) (bilingual EN, FR)