I need to start planing out my bloging thing because I dont have ideas and then I say hey tweet me ideas and everyone wants me to either talk about them or Katy's boobs. And its 11:47 and my brother is being a bitch and telling me to get off the computer. I sort of lose my mind when I get in front of the computer. Its ADD gone wild. Especially when I have this ability to multitask like a baws on this giant screen I have now. Skype, background music, checking random social networking sites, and then theres the stuff i'm ~supposed to do~. Like blog. This doesnt even count the things I'm supposed to do/distractions outside the computer.
I wanted to read today. Like a lot because I didnt read yesterday and i'm reading a book along with other people so i need to keep up. I DID NOT READ TODAY BECAUSE OF THIS COMPUTER.
I need to learn some self control. Lots of it is I feel like i'm going to miss out of something so that I just stay online to see what happens.
I guess I could make BEDA have an overarching theme of self control.
Speaking of self control and failing at it let me bring up the fact that I got back into smoking the last 3 weeks. It sucks. My current goal is to not do it within the month of August as a start.
So I guess I can end blogs with that as well
Days of not smoking: 6 or 7 I can't remember. Lets go with 6 because it will make me feel like i've achieved less which will make me want to achieve more
Reading: the same stuff I did yesterday with NO PROGRESS
Last song scrobbled: "The Grand Conjuration"- Opeth
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Blaugust Day 2 etc- Family and 5 Misspelded Words
I was told by my, I guess BEDA/Blaugust/VEDA/Vlaugust buddies (?), that I should talk about my family.
I don't really know what to talk about other then a general breakdown of where everyone "stands" for lack of a better word.
First of all I just have one younger brother who is going to be 18 the beginning of October. Everyone that doesn't know him thinks he's like 12 or something which is kind of funny.
So I live with my brother and my parents. My grandparents, my dad's parents, live 1 block over in the house that my dad grew up in (the house that WE live in actually belonged to an old lady that paid my dad to cut her grass and he waited for her to die to buy her house). My dad is one of 5 kids. I have 2 uncles and 2 aunts on his side of the family. My grandpa owns a farm that he used to take the family to every weekend to put them to work and stuff. The whole country thing rubbed off on everyone because all my aunts and uncles moved out to the country. One of them owns his own farm. So there you have it i am legit part redneck
All of my aunts and uncles are married except one of my uncles is divorced. My two aunts have kids totaling 3 cousins that I have- all 3 girls, all 3 younger than me and my brother.
My mom just has one brother who is married and lives in California where he plays piano professionally. Both of my mom's parents have passed away, her dad when she was really young and her mom a few years ago. I don't really know my uncle very well because I barely get to talk to him and he is kind of a difficult person (which sounds mean but i'm not meaning it that way. he's very cool just kind of different). His wife is very nice and friendly.
Then there are other intricacies like my grandpa's two brothers- one deceased and one married twice, and my grandma's sister. But those areas don't have anything interesting to talk about.
My family has lots of inside jokes like i'm sure most families do. We have certain words that we used and phrases that we use that are just riddiculous when you don't understand the context.
Here are some examples with the context intentionally removed:
Beebs
Formost (not foremost, this is a different thing related to a motorcycle)
Tutor Nelpa
The Shit Eatin' Grin
and now that i'm trying to think of them it occurs to me that there are not as many as I thought because lots of them are already existing things we just say them with a weird voice or emphasis to denote family things.
My family is weird in the way that only a family can be. Its difficult to explain
Our main traditions are the way we do Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Thanksgiving used to always be at my grandparent's farm but the trailer there has become run down and we haven't been there in a while. So now thanksgiving is at whoever's house happens to be able to do it.
As for Christmas we go by order of age of my dad's side of the family. I can't remember if it goes oldest to youngest or youngest to oldest but they seem to know. My aunt started a new thing last christmas where she bought a serving dish and a special pen to write down who's house it was at and what year it was on the underside of the dish.
Also my aunts/uncles/parents do secret santas which are drawn at thanksgiving. All the children (meaning my dad and his siblings) usually save up for one big thing for my grandparents.
we don't really have anything ~juicy~ that goes on so this blog is kinda lame.
5 words I misspell all the time:
Together
Ridiculous
I cant think of 3 more at 12:30am which makes me sad.
Currently reading:
half way through HP and the Sorcerer's Stone
Oblivion by David Foster Wallace
Last song scrobbled:
The Crunge- Led Zeppelin
I don't really know what to talk about other then a general breakdown of where everyone "stands" for lack of a better word.
First of all I just have one younger brother who is going to be 18 the beginning of October. Everyone that doesn't know him thinks he's like 12 or something which is kind of funny.
So I live with my brother and my parents. My grandparents, my dad's parents, live 1 block over in the house that my dad grew up in (the house that WE live in actually belonged to an old lady that paid my dad to cut her grass and he waited for her to die to buy her house). My dad is one of 5 kids. I have 2 uncles and 2 aunts on his side of the family. My grandpa owns a farm that he used to take the family to every weekend to put them to work and stuff. The whole country thing rubbed off on everyone because all my aunts and uncles moved out to the country. One of them owns his own farm. So there you have it i am legit part redneck
All of my aunts and uncles are married except one of my uncles is divorced. My two aunts have kids totaling 3 cousins that I have- all 3 girls, all 3 younger than me and my brother.
My mom just has one brother who is married and lives in California where he plays piano professionally. Both of my mom's parents have passed away, her dad when she was really young and her mom a few years ago. I don't really know my uncle very well because I barely get to talk to him and he is kind of a difficult person (which sounds mean but i'm not meaning it that way. he's very cool just kind of different). His wife is very nice and friendly.
Then there are other intricacies like my grandpa's two brothers- one deceased and one married twice, and my grandma's sister. But those areas don't have anything interesting to talk about.
My family has lots of inside jokes like i'm sure most families do. We have certain words that we used and phrases that we use that are just riddiculous when you don't understand the context.
Here are some examples with the context intentionally removed:
Beebs
Formost (not foremost, this is a different thing related to a motorcycle)
Tutor Nelpa
The Shit Eatin' Grin
and now that i'm trying to think of them it occurs to me that there are not as many as I thought because lots of them are already existing things we just say them with a weird voice or emphasis to denote family things.
My family is weird in the way that only a family can be. Its difficult to explain
Our main traditions are the way we do Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Thanksgiving used to always be at my grandparent's farm but the trailer there has become run down and we haven't been there in a while. So now thanksgiving is at whoever's house happens to be able to do it.
As for Christmas we go by order of age of my dad's side of the family. I can't remember if it goes oldest to youngest or youngest to oldest but they seem to know. My aunt started a new thing last christmas where she bought a serving dish and a special pen to write down who's house it was at and what year it was on the underside of the dish.
Also my aunts/uncles/parents do secret santas which are drawn at thanksgiving. All the children (meaning my dad and his siblings) usually save up for one big thing for my grandparents.
we don't really have anything ~juicy~ that goes on so this blog is kinda lame.
5 words I misspell all the time:
Together
Ridiculous
I cant think of 3 more at 12:30am which makes me sad.
Currently reading:
half way through HP and the Sorcerer's Stone
Oblivion by David Foster Wallace
Last song scrobbled:
The Crunge- Led Zeppelin
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Ok I got convinced into doing BEDA/Blaugust...
but only because a bunch of my friends are doing it and we are all collaberatively coming up with ideas. I tried BEDA in april but failed miserably because I didnt have enough to talk about so lets try this again.
I guess I can talk about motivation here.
I really should impliment good ideas the second I get them. But I dont. This is bad. Partly because I am a self concious person and I worry about what people will think of me even in video form. I'll come up with an idea and think its really great and then not do it, maybe write it down or something, and then when it comes time to finally do it in video form I either think OTHER PEOPLE will think it's dumb or think that I will look dumb doing it and just not do it.
But that's just video motivation. I procrastinate most other things too. I have a SERIOUS problem with over thinking things. I always think that everything is going to be much worse than it actually is. I tend to freak out about the unknown type of stuff.
I have problems even motivating myself to do things I love. Like reading. I love reading but sometimes it is very hard to get myself to do it. I find that with almost everything a big part of the actual thing is the parts leading up to doing the thing (if that makes sense). Like homework. It sucks but what really sucks is getting in the process of doing it. Once you have all your materials out and your book turned to the right page the actual process of doing homework isnt as bad as it's made out to be. And I tend to put this with everything.
Reading can be tiresome believe it or not. It takes a lot of stamina or some other word that I can not think of at 11:17pm and it can be hard to get in the process of doing it. Many times I just try not to think about it, get off the couch/office chair, pull out the book and just start reading. The first few pages might go slow but it tends to gain speed as I continue with it.
I figure it's probably a good thing that I at least realize I have this particular problem with motivation. I have recognized the problem but still have not come up with a great solution (if you have any IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THEM IN THE COMMENTS).
Well I guess that's it for the thrown together day 1 of blaugust. See i'm already saying this is crap and from your point of view it may not be. I need to work on that self conciousness but that is a topic for another blog.
I guess I can talk about motivation here.
I really should impliment good ideas the second I get them. But I dont. This is bad. Partly because I am a self concious person and I worry about what people will think of me even in video form. I'll come up with an idea and think its really great and then not do it, maybe write it down or something, and then when it comes time to finally do it in video form I either think OTHER PEOPLE will think it's dumb or think that I will look dumb doing it and just not do it.
But that's just video motivation. I procrastinate most other things too. I have a SERIOUS problem with over thinking things. I always think that everything is going to be much worse than it actually is. I tend to freak out about the unknown type of stuff.
I have problems even motivating myself to do things I love. Like reading. I love reading but sometimes it is very hard to get myself to do it. I find that with almost everything a big part of the actual thing is the parts leading up to doing the thing (if that makes sense). Like homework. It sucks but what really sucks is getting in the process of doing it. Once you have all your materials out and your book turned to the right page the actual process of doing homework isnt as bad as it's made out to be. And I tend to put this with everything.
Reading can be tiresome believe it or not. It takes a lot of stamina or some other word that I can not think of at 11:17pm and it can be hard to get in the process of doing it. Many times I just try not to think about it, get off the couch/office chair, pull out the book and just start reading. The first few pages might go slow but it tends to gain speed as I continue with it.
I figure it's probably a good thing that I at least realize I have this particular problem with motivation. I have recognized the problem but still have not come up with a great solution (if you have any IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THEM IN THE COMMENTS).
Well I guess that's it for the thrown together day 1 of blaugust. See i'm already saying this is crap and from your point of view it may not be. I need to work on that self conciousness but that is a topic for another blog.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
My Social Media Paper
Blogs are for writing. I do not write often. So here is something that I wrote. For school. I got an A on it so it may be worth reading
Text messaging is probably the most scrutinized form of communication. Many people easily become too involved with text messaging and it can do more harm to their social life than good if not used properly. I use text messaging sparingly when I need to talk with someone and can not be on a phone. It is a great way to easily connect with someone to ask about a quick detail or to achieve something that is not necessary for an entire phone call. I also enjoy the ability to send out one message to a few people at once. My group of friends get together every week for wing night at Culpepper’s and I get one of these mass texts each week as a reminder of the time and place we are meeting up. If I call someone and they are not available I will sometimes send them a text instead of leaving a voice message to open communication with them, as long as the conversation is not urgent.
Important conversation and messages that need to be responded to in a timely basis is not the place for text messaging. People often get annoyed when someone is not responding to a text message within twenty minutes yet they refuse to dial the number to call them. If you expect an urgent response, you should call, not text. Serious conversation should also not be over text messaging. There is no tone of voice in text and if the conversation is balancing on the edge of an argument the conversation should be moved to a phone call.
The impersonal aspects of electronic communication can actually be useful in some cases. Not everyone is as open an social as they would like to be and it is awkward for some people to make new friends. Some friendships can begin over electronic and text based communication before they move into areas of personal connection. I have met a few people at school that I have started talking to through Facebook or text messaging and it becomes much easier to open up to someone new. It becomes convenient that I can talk to new people through text and be able to hide any bad first impressions I may give off. Eventually I will get to know someone enough to know when I am ready to move the communication on to something like a phone call. It is important for those on the receiving end of this situation to be aware when meeting new people. We have all heard horror stories of people meeting online and then finding out who they were actually talking to once they decide to meet in person.
Social networking sites like Facebook can be a great place to keep in touch with your friends. It can also help you connect with people that you’ve lost touch with. I’ve found old friends from grade school, sports teams, and old neighbors that I haven’t talked to in years and was excited to be able to reconnect with them. Facebook has a few features that can also be great to connect with people as long as certain requirements are in place for it to be effective. The biggest problem with connecting on Facebook is trying to communicate with someone who does not visit the site very often. This is when communication with that person should be moved to another form. I do not have many problems with this because my close group of friends check the site every day or so. Since everyone is able to be contacted in a timely manner through Facebook, my friends utilize features such as the events page to plan get togethers. Whenever one of my friends has a birthday party coming up, the host will usually start an event page with information on the time and location of the party. They are then able to invite everyone to the party through Facebook and the event page will keep track of who plans on going, who can not make it, and who still is not sure. While this tool is useful and quick, it is still important to consider a personal connection with the host to touch base with them on the specifics of the party when the date is approaching.
The Facebook status updates, which are essentially the same thing as an update on Twitter, are very useful for keeping in touch with people. Everyone gives quick updates on what is going on in their lives and it is most likely you will hear about the major events in someone’s life by occasionally reading their status updates. When I was in a car accident a month ago I updated my Twitter and Facebook and my friends and family were all instantly aware of what was going on. All of my friends work a lot during the week and I only get to see them about once a month. It is even difficult to get a hold of them by phone and sometimes even by text so Facebook is essential for me if I want to know what is going on with them.
Since I am not able to see my friends very often social media and textual communication are a huge part of my life. I have met many people through online communities and through YouTube and I talk to my group of online friends every day. In many ways I have become closer to my online friends than my regular group of friends. “Real” friends are limited to those that live around you while online friends can be from anywhere in the world so you are able to pick and choose your friends based on their compatibility with your personal tastes. I have gotten to know these people very well though Twitter and Facebook and through the instant message program Skype. I would not call my relationship with my online friends impersonal by any means because we all know each other so well and are able to communicate ourselves to each other easily. Skype has a voice chat feature that allows a conference call where all my online friends can speak to the group at once. I also know them on a personal level because most of them make videos on YouTube so you can see how they act in a regular setting and they become more than just text and a user name.
My younger brother has an Xbox 360 and a subscription to Xbox Live which connects his game system to the internet so he can play online with people all over the world. The Xbox comes with a headset that connects to a port in the controllers so that you can talk to the people you’re playing with. There are options to become friends with people on Xbox live with either people you already know or even new people you’ve met online. Most of my brother’s friends have an Xbox and connect with him through this online system. Because of this my brother gets to talk to his friends every day. Many of his friends have moved away since he went to grade school with them so it is an important piece of technology to utilize so that he can stay connected with his far away friends.
Who knows where technology will bring communication in the years to come. I predict that electronic communication will be refined and more widely accepted in the future as the next generations will be brought up with more technology in their lives. People are generally afraid of change, so when new and innovative technology is released, it is not always seen as completely functional or necessary. There have already been uprisings in technology within the past few years to make electronic communication more accessible and practical. Voice chat is popping up in places where there was only text based chat and the ideas of video chat are also growing. Sites like YouTube have made great strides in expressing yourself to the world through video- this is just the beginning.
There can be many setbacks with each form of electronic communication; these need to be acknowledged in order for the various methods to become completely effective. Electronic media is very useful but only when used under the correct circumstances. It will be exciting to see what electronic communication will evolve into once its purpose is understood. The limits and restrictions depending on each form of electronic communication should be realized so that everyone appropriately chooses the right method for their needs at the time. In many ways electronic communication is being abused and the future will hopefully bring a better understanding of when it is appropriate to use electronic media and when communication should be brought up to a more personal level.
Social Media Has Its Purpose
The past few years have brought a variety of innovative ways for everyone to communicate with each other. New social media is emerging as a huge industry; and the industry is thriving. The internet is changing most Americans’ social aspects of life. Sites like Twitter and Facebook redefine what it means to be “in touch” with someone. Typically when something new breaks through there will be lots of skepticism before it is widely accepted. Social media and electronic communication are definitely under fire at the moment. Many say that the new forms of communication are too impersonal and that there is much room for misinterpretation because text has no tone of voice. While I can agree with this I think there are still too many good qualities about electronic communication, given the correct context and understanding of when it is appropriate, for it to be cast aside completely.Text messaging is probably the most scrutinized form of communication. Many people easily become too involved with text messaging and it can do more harm to their social life than good if not used properly. I use text messaging sparingly when I need to talk with someone and can not be on a phone. It is a great way to easily connect with someone to ask about a quick detail or to achieve something that is not necessary for an entire phone call. I also enjoy the ability to send out one message to a few people at once. My group of friends get together every week for wing night at Culpepper’s and I get one of these mass texts each week as a reminder of the time and place we are meeting up. If I call someone and they are not available I will sometimes send them a text instead of leaving a voice message to open communication with them, as long as the conversation is not urgent.
Important conversation and messages that need to be responded to in a timely basis is not the place for text messaging. People often get annoyed when someone is not responding to a text message within twenty minutes yet they refuse to dial the number to call them. If you expect an urgent response, you should call, not text. Serious conversation should also not be over text messaging. There is no tone of voice in text and if the conversation is balancing on the edge of an argument the conversation should be moved to a phone call.
The impersonal aspects of electronic communication can actually be useful in some cases. Not everyone is as open an social as they would like to be and it is awkward for some people to make new friends. Some friendships can begin over electronic and text based communication before they move into areas of personal connection. I have met a few people at school that I have started talking to through Facebook or text messaging and it becomes much easier to open up to someone new. It becomes convenient that I can talk to new people through text and be able to hide any bad first impressions I may give off. Eventually I will get to know someone enough to know when I am ready to move the communication on to something like a phone call. It is important for those on the receiving end of this situation to be aware when meeting new people. We have all heard horror stories of people meeting online and then finding out who they were actually talking to once they decide to meet in person.
Social networking sites like Facebook can be a great place to keep in touch with your friends. It can also help you connect with people that you’ve lost touch with. I’ve found old friends from grade school, sports teams, and old neighbors that I haven’t talked to in years and was excited to be able to reconnect with them. Facebook has a few features that can also be great to connect with people as long as certain requirements are in place for it to be effective. The biggest problem with connecting on Facebook is trying to communicate with someone who does not visit the site very often. This is when communication with that person should be moved to another form. I do not have many problems with this because my close group of friends check the site every day or so. Since everyone is able to be contacted in a timely manner through Facebook, my friends utilize features such as the events page to plan get togethers. Whenever one of my friends has a birthday party coming up, the host will usually start an event page with information on the time and location of the party. They are then able to invite everyone to the party through Facebook and the event page will keep track of who plans on going, who can not make it, and who still is not sure. While this tool is useful and quick, it is still important to consider a personal connection with the host to touch base with them on the specifics of the party when the date is approaching.
The Facebook status updates, which are essentially the same thing as an update on Twitter, are very useful for keeping in touch with people. Everyone gives quick updates on what is going on in their lives and it is most likely you will hear about the major events in someone’s life by occasionally reading their status updates. When I was in a car accident a month ago I updated my Twitter and Facebook and my friends and family were all instantly aware of what was going on. All of my friends work a lot during the week and I only get to see them about once a month. It is even difficult to get a hold of them by phone and sometimes even by text so Facebook is essential for me if I want to know what is going on with them.
Since I am not able to see my friends very often social media and textual communication are a huge part of my life. I have met many people through online communities and through YouTube and I talk to my group of online friends every day. In many ways I have become closer to my online friends than my regular group of friends. “Real” friends are limited to those that live around you while online friends can be from anywhere in the world so you are able to pick and choose your friends based on their compatibility with your personal tastes. I have gotten to know these people very well though Twitter and Facebook and through the instant message program Skype. I would not call my relationship with my online friends impersonal by any means because we all know each other so well and are able to communicate ourselves to each other easily. Skype has a voice chat feature that allows a conference call where all my online friends can speak to the group at once. I also know them on a personal level because most of them make videos on YouTube so you can see how they act in a regular setting and they become more than just text and a user name.
My younger brother has an Xbox 360 and a subscription to Xbox Live which connects his game system to the internet so he can play online with people all over the world. The Xbox comes with a headset that connects to a port in the controllers so that you can talk to the people you’re playing with. There are options to become friends with people on Xbox live with either people you already know or even new people you’ve met online. Most of my brother’s friends have an Xbox and connect with him through this online system. Because of this my brother gets to talk to his friends every day. Many of his friends have moved away since he went to grade school with them so it is an important piece of technology to utilize so that he can stay connected with his far away friends.
Who knows where technology will bring communication in the years to come. I predict that electronic communication will be refined and more widely accepted in the future as the next generations will be brought up with more technology in their lives. People are generally afraid of change, so when new and innovative technology is released, it is not always seen as completely functional or necessary. There have already been uprisings in technology within the past few years to make electronic communication more accessible and practical. Voice chat is popping up in places where there was only text based chat and the ideas of video chat are also growing. Sites like YouTube have made great strides in expressing yourself to the world through video- this is just the beginning.
There can be many setbacks with each form of electronic communication; these need to be acknowledged in order for the various methods to become completely effective. Electronic media is very useful but only when used under the correct circumstances. It will be exciting to see what electronic communication will evolve into once its purpose is understood. The limits and restrictions depending on each form of electronic communication should be realized so that everyone appropriately chooses the right method for their needs at the time. In many ways electronic communication is being abused and the future will hopefully bring a better understanding of when it is appropriate to use electronic media and when communication should be brought up to a more personal level.
Friday, March 12, 2010
My College Essay on Nerdfighters
This is my description essay for my college english class. It's 7 pages (double spaced). I turn it in on Monday. I'll put up what grade I get when It gets back to me.
“On Nerdfighteria Island”
But what exactly is a nerd? Based on your views and social standing you may have a different idea of what a nerd is than the next person. The main thing that makes a nerd a nerd is liking stuff. Nerds like many different things from many different aspects of life, most notably pop culture. It is easy to pick out some nerd cultures right away. Fans of things such as Star Wars, comic books, video games, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Pokémon are typically labeled as nerds. However, as long as you are obsessed enough about the subject, you can be a nerd about almost anything, such as music, books, cars, and movies. A great word to describe a nerd is eclectic. The second word that I would use to describe a nerd is enthusiastic. Nerds get very excited about the things they like. John Green, critically acclaimed young adult author and fellow nerd, says that “Nerds are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it… when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff,’ which is just not a good insult at all. Like, you are just too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.”
The only way to explain Nerdfighters thoroughly is to start with its history. In January of 2007, two brothers realized that the closeness of their brotherhood had been stifled by the amount of textual communication that took place between them. They began the Brotherhood 2.0 project in which they would only use the popular internet site YouTube to communicate to each other through the use of vlogs (video blogs) for an entire year. The aforementioned author John Green and Hank Green, a web designer and founder of the website Eco-Geek, which reports on ways green technology is being developed, became known as the Vlogbrothers on YouTube. They were not allowed to e-mail, instant message, text message, or use any other means of text based communication throughout the course of the Brotherhood 2.0 project. It may not have been the first, but it was definitely the first widely popular collab channel (a YouTube account that has more than one user) on YouTube.
The project took off and slowly began to gain a following of viewers. A month and a half after starting the project, John Green made one of his videos while waiting for his flight at an airport. John visited the arcade at the airport and found a game called Aero Fighters. The text of the title was very steep and there was a piece of plastic covering the very top of the word “Aero” so at a first glance John thought the game was called Nerd Fighters. John took the idea and ran with it, as many authors are capable of doing, and began to discuss in the video what a game called Nerdfighters would be about. He began to question what it is to be a nerd and why being a nerd is seen as a bad thing. In a later video, John went on to say, "Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?” John made the point that many important historical figures were nerds and that being a nerd is something that should be celebrated. He went on to dub the viewers of the Brotherhood 2.0 project the “Nerdfighters” and the culture was born.
John and Hank later discussed in the following videos more of what Nerdfighters was about. They established that instead of bones and tissue, Nerdfighters were actually made of awesome; and that they used this awesome to fight to reduce “world suck“ levels. World suck is anything in the world that is a bad thing, such as cancer, poverty, global warming, abuse, and especially social injustice against nerds. Nerdfighters are nerds who “band together against the scourge of popular people” and fight with their brains instead of their fists. Nerdfighters fight for nerds just like Freedom Fighters fight for freedom. Nerdfighters live by the initialism DFTBA which stands for “Don’t Forget To Be Awesome.” Non-Nerdfighters are typically the ones who FTBA (forget to be awesome) by promoting world suck through acts such as racism, breaking the law, discrimination, and drug use.
There are many different varieties of Nerdfighters depending on what nerd culture they most identify with. Not all Nerdfighters are the same, and one must choose which type of Nerdfighter they are going to be once they choose to become one. There are literature Nerdfighters, Zelda Nerdfighters, theater Nerdfighters and Star Wars Nerdfighters just to name a few. If a Nerdfighter is most interested in Pokémon, he or she may choose to become a Pokémon Nerdfighter and would be able to name all 493 Pokémon, will have played more than one of the Pokémon games, and will own all the Pokémon movies. A music Nerdfighter will listen to a dozen independent bands that not many people have heard of, be able to rattle off facts about the personal lives of The Beatles, and be able to play an instrument or two.
Along with the birth of Nerdfighters, the insider culture, canon, and references began. One of the first and most popular inside jokes was started by John’s friend and fellow author Maureen Johnson. She noticed that if you put “…in your pants” after a book title it made the titles significantly funnier. “My Pants” became the name for the online forum where the Nerdfighting community could interact. From here, thousands of ideas and expanse of the culture began such as putting things on your head to make yourself feel better about life, John’s “puff level” which refers to when John’s stress gets higher and he pulls on his hair making it stick up, and referring to John’s wife as “the yeti” because she is believed to exist but has never been seen in a Vlogbrothers video. These and many others, including many references from John’s novels and songs that Hank wrote, became the basis of the insider culture of Nerdfighteria. Nerdfighteria refers to an imaginary island where there all the Nerdfighters live together.
John and Hank realized they had started something fantastic. Nerds are typically the outcasts of society and are always on the outside looking in- Nerdfighters became a way for nerds to be on the inside and feel like they are a part of something. Nerdfighters are known for using their powers “for awesome”, or for good things that fight world suck levels. They started the annual You Tube “Project For Awesome” where hundreds of Nerdfighters would each make a YouTube video in support of a charity. The Nerdfighting community then got together and rated, favorited, and commented on all of the charity videos to get them onto the most rated, most favorited and most discussed page on YouTube thus gaining charity awareness. The Nerdfighters recently joined forces with the Harry Potter fan community in a project called “Helping Haiti Heal”. All sorts of prizes including autographed copies of John Green’s books, signed copies of Harry Potter books and other various Harry Potter/Nerdfighter related prizes were auctioned off by selling raffle tickets at various donation prices. The project gained over $123,000 and filled three cargo planes (named Harry, Ron, and Hermione) with supplies to send to Haiti.
A Nerdfighter is a good role model. The community values “quality over quantity” and promotes fortitude that parents couldn’t pay to have instilled into their children. Nerdfighters value education and being good students, doing their homework and trying their best to get good grades. Nerdfighters are polite to everyone and believe in equality and fairness. They also have a love of books and enjoy showcasing their literacy through their advanced vocabulary. Nerdfighters are very social and have many different ways of interacting with each other. Nerdfighters.com would be the first on the list in general communication between Nerdfighters. YouTube is next on the list where anyone can find Nerdfighters that make videos and interact with their various Nerdfighter viewers. Another website that is used to rally Nerdfighters together is blogtv.com. This site lets a host broadcast through a webcam to a chat room. Many friendships are sparked through these main sites. Once initial interaction begins, Nerdfighters keep in touch with each other through Facebook, Twitter, and Skype- a popular instant messenger that also allows video and voice chat.
Many people on YouTube come across John and Hank’s videos and use lots of bad grammar to insult them. Comments such as “your gay” and “ugh jeez get a life nerd” have led to haters being known as “giant squids of anger.” Giant squids of anger, who are rude and vacuous people, also referred to as “Decepticons,” would be the opposite of a Nerdfighter along with the assumed jocks, preps, and popular kids that are typically associated with the opposites of nerds. Moments involving these types of people are moments when Nerdfighters spring into action. A Nerdfighter would look at the comment “your gay” and explain to the commenter that “your” is used incorrectly, would explain to them why “gay” should not be used as an insult, and possibly fight back at them with a Shakespearean insult.
Nerdfighteria is an excellent place to get positive feedback for one’s creative ideas. Nerdfighters are encouraged to be creative and make good use of any talents they have and also to try new things. There is a strong music scene in Nerdfighteria which has led to the creation of DFTBA Records, co-founded by Hank Green. The label features a place for YouTube musicians to reach their audiences and distribute their music to their fans; including Hank Green who was one of DFTBA Records’ first artists and has released three albums of songs that he created for “Song Wednesdays” on the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel.
Occasionally, Nerdfighters will get together at Nerdfighter Gatherings where everyone can meet up IRL (in real life). Most notably, John and Hank went on “The Great American Tour De Nerdfighting” in 2008 and visited over 30 cites and rallied Nerdfighters together to sign things, play music, discuss John’s books and have lots of fun. Nerdfighter gatherings bring the friendships off of the internet and into real life; and meeting Nerdfighters from the internet in real life is nowhere near the same as meeting some potential rapist in a chat room. Some Nerdfighters, because of their nerdy tendencies, are unable to achieve the social life they dream of; and Nerdfighters is a way for these kids to acquire the interaction they struggle for.
Nerdfighting goes far beyond the community, it is very active on an individual level and is an attitude and a lifestyle. Nerdfighters grow to accept themselves and become happy with who they are while fighting for what is good and right. The little project that John and Hank started over three years ago has inspired hundreds of thousands of young adults to be better people. It is challenging to describe Nerdfighters to an outsider because of how much content has been spawned in the past few years. Nerdfighters can be a life changing experience (it is for me) and it is a wonderful, positive lifestyle for young (nerd) adults to get involved in. I have met many amazing people through the Nerdfighting community (a few of whom helped me edit this essay to make sure all of the canon and terminology is correct) and have found closure in embracing my inner nerd and being proud of it. Being a Nerdfighter is a strong characteristic that I hope stays with me for the rest of my life.
Friday, March 5, 2010
NERDS IN MY ENGLISH CLASS!
This was a sample essay my college english teacher gave us. I DID NOT WRITE THIS! But i think it's super awesome that one of her former students wrote it. I would like to meet this person:
The True Revenge of the Nerds
Do you like Fantasy? How about Science Fiction? Do you like Comic books too? How about horror movies, Monty Python, video games, Doctor Who, cult films, cartoons, or Dungeons and Dragons? Have you argued over whether Kirk or Piccard made the better starship captain? Were you angry when George Lucas changed Star Wars and had Greedo shooting Han first when everybody knows Han Shot First?! If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then congratulations, you may be a nerd. Relax; it's okay to be a nerd. If your immediate reaction to finding out that you might be a nerd was one of shock then you need to read my essay. Most people are nerds about one thing or another and that is what makes being a nerd so endearing. Knowing what a nerd is and how to recognize one will be an important skill throughout your life because if you are not a nerd yourself you surely know a nerd, even if you don't realize it. As all G.I. Joe lovers will attest, Knowing is Half the Battle!
Liking something from the above list does not necessarily mean that you are a nerd and liking something I have not put on the list does not exclude you from being a nerd. You can be a nerd about almost anything. Nerd is a lifestyle bit it is not a lifestyle by choice. Nerds cannot help but be nerds. I am convinced that it is embedded in DNA, no different than eye color, and is set into motion at puberty. Being a nerd is a remnant of the butterfly effect from a misstep of a Neanderthal ancestor. No amount of TARDIS inspired time travel can change nerds into something they are not. It is fate. It is destiny, and Resistance Is Futile!
Now that it has been made clear that being a nerd isn't a bad thing and it isn't a choice, how can you tell if you or someone you know is a nerd? Clue number one would be if you have grasped two or more of my pop-culture references used in the essay thus far. Seriously though, there are several factors that make a person a nerd and distinguish being a nerd from being a geek or a dork. If you know what these factors are then spotting a nerd can be as easy as a beholder spotting Waldo in one of those books. It is necessary to distinguish a nerd from a geek or a dork because these words are often used interchangeably and i find this to be completely unacceptable. Once you know what makes a nerd a nerd you iwll experience the Tribble effect, and nerds will seemingly multiply all around you.
The most effective way to demonstrate what makes a person a nerd is to compare and contrast nerds with geeks and dorks. The first quality that makes nerds what they are is that nerds do not discriminate knowledge seeking. Nerds know a log of things about a lot of topics. This knowledge can range from practical topics such as what a jumper switch in a computer is used for or naming the twelve cranial nerves to frivolous topics such as naming all the Jedi on the Jedi council or knowing how many times Superman died in his storied history. A geek knows a lot, in fact, almost everything about one topic but not nearly as much about others. For instance a geek might love Star Trek to the point of having learned Klingon and knowing which actor played which nameless ensign in what episode, but think that Star Wars is convoluted and ridiculous. A nerd, however, will like both Star Trek and Star Wars and also Battlestar Galactica and Babylon 5, knowing a lot about all of them but having mastered none of them. A dork will also try to be diverse like a nerd but will have less knowledge mastery in all topics. The lack of mastery in and of itself isn't what makes a dork a dork. It is the lack of mastery combines with the unwillingness to admit when they have been proven wrong that makes a dork a mole person in the eyes of nerds.
It isn't just the mastery of the knowledge that makes someone a nerd it is also the way they respond when that knowledge is challenged. Nerds know the first video games Mario appeared in was Donkey Kong and if somebody were to come along and tell those nerds that the first game Mario appeared in was the original Mario Bros. the nerds would know this person was incorrect. However, nerds would know the person was wrong and not say anything or maybe kindly suggest that they believe the correct first appearance is Donkey Kong but that this could be solved with a Google search. This is, of course, unless the person that was wrong was a dork, in which case, anything and everything would be done to make that person embarassed at just how little they actually knew. Geeks faced with this same frustration situation would not only let the other person know how wrong they were but would also raise their voices, become indignant, tell them how dumb they are, and give them even more facts related to the subject. As i stated before, geeks are very passionate about one thing. When you are passionate about something, no matter how trivial it may be, you tend to fight for it as if it were a badge of honor. This particular geek just happened to be passionate about Mario.
Another quality of a nerd is that a nerd's knowledge, while at times may be practical, is not usually marketable. One of the two main factors that separate a nerd and a geek is that a geek can turn what they are a geek about into a merketable skill. When you are the best or know the most about something you are in high demand. This is especially true with people who are considered computer geeks, finance geeks, math geeks, and so on. A nerd's knowledge base and true passions run more on the pop-culture side of things. A nerd may make a living as a mathematician, financial expert, or a computer programmer but you have never heard of a finance nerd or a math nerd. Though, you do hear of Star Wars nerds and comic book nerds. If you are a lucky nerd you can turn a nerd passion into a lucrative career. The creator of the Wookiepedia (a wiki fan site that is all things Star Wars) was hired to be the head of the Star Wars continuity and canon division and is currently doing quite well. A dork is not a good thing to be by any means. A dork not only has few marketable skills and less knowledge that either a geek or a nerd, they also generally lack the motivation or skills to even attempt to be marketable. These are the people i've worked with in fast food who seemed to be delusional about how skilled and how smart they were and whould garantee that within five years they were going to create a revolutionary new video game even though they have never shown any actual ability to program, tell a story, or be an artistic designer short of the bantha dung that spews out of their mouths.
The other main factor and most important characteristic that separates a nerd from a geek or a dork is that nerds have social skills. I know you don't believe me but it is true. Despite how nerds are portrayed in movies like Revenge of the Nerds (they were geeks by the way) nerds not only want and attempt to have friends but they can maintain conversations and even relationships. If you don't believe me try talking to a nerd about something, anything. They may be a little socially awkward or quirky but they will be excited to talk to you, funny, clever, and always have something to say about everything because that is their specialty, knowing a lot about a lot. Geeks, however, may want to talk to you and may want to talk to you and may want to interject some of their specialized wisdom into a conversation or explaining things on a technical level, even when the topic is far from technical. A nerd may talk to you about your favorite food but a geek will explain to you, using techincal jargon, how your taste buds send information to the thalamus, tractus solitaries, and the postcentral gyrus releasing hormones like dopamine thus making your chemical reaction to the food a positive one and imprinting in your hippocampus the idea of your favorite food, pizza in this case. A dorks social skills are severely hampered due to trying too hard to fit in or be cool. Dorks might or might not know the technical reason why you like pizza, they might love or hate pizza, but they will always agree with the majority consensus to fit into a group. Dorks also have the added stigma of not being the most hygienic of the groups (due to general lack of motivation) helping to hamper their social skills even further. Why would anyone want to talk to a smelly nerf-herder anyway? Geeks are more hygienic but may wear mismatch clothes or have unkempt hair. Nerds use their exlectic tastes and motivations to come up with their own wacky style, and wacky has become increasingly acceptable in America.
In case further clarification is necessary the members of They Might Be Giants are nerds, Bill Gates is a geek, and Napoleon Dynamite is a dork. Nerds have seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and can name the characters. Geeks have seen the movie hundreds of times, dress up, and are the re-enactors. Dorks know what the movie is, havn't seen the movie but pretend they have, and used to dress up but don't currently for unspecified reasons. You can be a geek who is nerdy about some things, you can be a nerd who is geeky about some things, but, by nature, dorks cannot be nerds or geeks and if a nerd or a geek becomes a dork there is no turning back.
How do I have the authority to say what a nerd is and what it means to be a nerd? If you haven't guessed, I am one. If i wasn't how would I be able to fill my essay with this myriad of pop-culture references? I am the archetypical nerd. I know a lot about a lot of things, most of my knowledge is frivolous, and I am content with knowing I'm right, not proving I'm right. I can hold a conversation, I have dated, and I'm married. I care about my appearance but my hair is still a little wacky. Do I have geeky tendencies? Yes, don't mess with my Star Wars, don't even try. I cannot call myself a geek, though. I am a nerd through and through. I am okay with that and, by now, you should be too. The next time you or someone you know is called a nerd, or the next time you want to call someone a nerd remember the guidelines for what is to really be a nerd. If a person is using nerd in a negative manner you have my permission to call them a dork. I ask that all nerds realize and accept what they are and form a unified force [***man if this guy only knew about nerdfighters***]... and i'll form the head. [***yeah, or john and hank will :)]
i typed this really fast and i know theres a ton of errors in it but i'm not gonna go through and fix them.
Liking something from the above list does not necessarily mean that you are a nerd and liking something I have not put on the list does not exclude you from being a nerd. You can be a nerd about almost anything. Nerd is a lifestyle bit it is not a lifestyle by choice. Nerds cannot help but be nerds. I am convinced that it is embedded in DNA, no different than eye color, and is set into motion at puberty. Being a nerd is a remnant of the butterfly effect from a misstep of a Neanderthal ancestor. No amount of TARDIS inspired time travel can change nerds into something they are not. It is fate. It is destiny, and Resistance Is Futile!
Now that it has been made clear that being a nerd isn't a bad thing and it isn't a choice, how can you tell if you or someone you know is a nerd? Clue number one would be if you have grasped two or more of my pop-culture references used in the essay thus far. Seriously though, there are several factors that make a person a nerd and distinguish being a nerd from being a geek or a dork. If you know what these factors are then spotting a nerd can be as easy as a beholder spotting Waldo in one of those books. It is necessary to distinguish a nerd from a geek or a dork because these words are often used interchangeably and i find this to be completely unacceptable. Once you know what makes a nerd a nerd you iwll experience the Tribble effect, and nerds will seemingly multiply all around you.
The most effective way to demonstrate what makes a person a nerd is to compare and contrast nerds with geeks and dorks. The first quality that makes nerds what they are is that nerds do not discriminate knowledge seeking. Nerds know a log of things about a lot of topics. This knowledge can range from practical topics such as what a jumper switch in a computer is used for or naming the twelve cranial nerves to frivolous topics such as naming all the Jedi on the Jedi council or knowing how many times Superman died in his storied history. A geek knows a lot, in fact, almost everything about one topic but not nearly as much about others. For instance a geek might love Star Trek to the point of having learned Klingon and knowing which actor played which nameless ensign in what episode, but think that Star Wars is convoluted and ridiculous. A nerd, however, will like both Star Trek and Star Wars and also Battlestar Galactica and Babylon 5, knowing a lot about all of them but having mastered none of them. A dork will also try to be diverse like a nerd but will have less knowledge mastery in all topics. The lack of mastery in and of itself isn't what makes a dork a dork. It is the lack of mastery combines with the unwillingness to admit when they have been proven wrong that makes a dork a mole person in the eyes of nerds.
It isn't just the mastery of the knowledge that makes someone a nerd it is also the way they respond when that knowledge is challenged. Nerds know the first video games Mario appeared in was Donkey Kong and if somebody were to come along and tell those nerds that the first game Mario appeared in was the original Mario Bros. the nerds would know this person was incorrect. However, nerds would know the person was wrong and not say anything or maybe kindly suggest that they believe the correct first appearance is Donkey Kong but that this could be solved with a Google search. This is, of course, unless the person that was wrong was a dork, in which case, anything and everything would be done to make that person embarassed at just how little they actually knew. Geeks faced with this same frustration situation would not only let the other person know how wrong they were but would also raise their voices, become indignant, tell them how dumb they are, and give them even more facts related to the subject. As i stated before, geeks are very passionate about one thing. When you are passionate about something, no matter how trivial it may be, you tend to fight for it as if it were a badge of honor. This particular geek just happened to be passionate about Mario.
Another quality of a nerd is that a nerd's knowledge, while at times may be practical, is not usually marketable. One of the two main factors that separate a nerd and a geek is that a geek can turn what they are a geek about into a merketable skill. When you are the best or know the most about something you are in high demand. This is especially true with people who are considered computer geeks, finance geeks, math geeks, and so on. A nerd's knowledge base and true passions run more on the pop-culture side of things. A nerd may make a living as a mathematician, financial expert, or a computer programmer but you have never heard of a finance nerd or a math nerd. Though, you do hear of Star Wars nerds and comic book nerds. If you are a lucky nerd you can turn a nerd passion into a lucrative career. The creator of the Wookiepedia (a wiki fan site that is all things Star Wars) was hired to be the head of the Star Wars continuity and canon division and is currently doing quite well. A dork is not a good thing to be by any means. A dork not only has few marketable skills and less knowledge that either a geek or a nerd, they also generally lack the motivation or skills to even attempt to be marketable. These are the people i've worked with in fast food who seemed to be delusional about how skilled and how smart they were and whould garantee that within five years they were going to create a revolutionary new video game even though they have never shown any actual ability to program, tell a story, or be an artistic designer short of the bantha dung that spews out of their mouths.
The other main factor and most important characteristic that separates a nerd from a geek or a dork is that nerds have social skills. I know you don't believe me but it is true. Despite how nerds are portrayed in movies like Revenge of the Nerds (they were geeks by the way) nerds not only want and attempt to have friends but they can maintain conversations and even relationships. If you don't believe me try talking to a nerd about something, anything. They may be a little socially awkward or quirky but they will be excited to talk to you, funny, clever, and always have something to say about everything because that is their specialty, knowing a lot about a lot. Geeks, however, may want to talk to you and may want to talk to you and may want to interject some of their specialized wisdom into a conversation or explaining things on a technical level, even when the topic is far from technical. A nerd may talk to you about your favorite food but a geek will explain to you, using techincal jargon, how your taste buds send information to the thalamus, tractus solitaries, and the postcentral gyrus releasing hormones like dopamine thus making your chemical reaction to the food a positive one and imprinting in your hippocampus the idea of your favorite food, pizza in this case. A dorks social skills are severely hampered due to trying too hard to fit in or be cool. Dorks might or might not know the technical reason why you like pizza, they might love or hate pizza, but they will always agree with the majority consensus to fit into a group. Dorks also have the added stigma of not being the most hygienic of the groups (due to general lack of motivation) helping to hamper their social skills even further. Why would anyone want to talk to a smelly nerf-herder anyway? Geeks are more hygienic but may wear mismatch clothes or have unkempt hair. Nerds use their exlectic tastes and motivations to come up with their own wacky style, and wacky has become increasingly acceptable in America.
In case further clarification is necessary the members of They Might Be Giants are nerds, Bill Gates is a geek, and Napoleon Dynamite is a dork. Nerds have seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and can name the characters. Geeks have seen the movie hundreds of times, dress up, and are the re-enactors. Dorks know what the movie is, havn't seen the movie but pretend they have, and used to dress up but don't currently for unspecified reasons. You can be a geek who is nerdy about some things, you can be a nerd who is geeky about some things, but, by nature, dorks cannot be nerds or geeks and if a nerd or a geek becomes a dork there is no turning back.
How do I have the authority to say what a nerd is and what it means to be a nerd? If you haven't guessed, I am one. If i wasn't how would I be able to fill my essay with this myriad of pop-culture references? I am the archetypical nerd. I know a lot about a lot of things, most of my knowledge is frivolous, and I am content with knowing I'm right, not proving I'm right. I can hold a conversation, I have dated, and I'm married. I care about my appearance but my hair is still a little wacky. Do I have geeky tendencies? Yes, don't mess with my Star Wars, don't even try. I cannot call myself a geek, though. I am a nerd through and through. I am okay with that and, by now, you should be too. The next time you or someone you know is called a nerd, or the next time you want to call someone a nerd remember the guidelines for what is to really be a nerd. If a person is using nerd in a negative manner you have my permission to call them a dork. I ask that all nerds realize and accept what they are and form a unified force [***man if this guy only knew about nerdfighters***]... and i'll form the head. [***yeah, or john and hank will :)]
i typed this really fast and i know theres a ton of errors in it but i'm not gonna go through and fix them.
Friday, December 4, 2009
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