Computer Nerds: Their Reputation
Computer nerds have a very mixed reputation and reception in the non-nerd crowd. They are both popular and non-popular in their unique “computer nerd” way. Movies have been made about them, they often hold comical roles in many movies, and they are pivotal people in offices and work settings. In a way, computer nerds are like their own breed of people because they are so different from others in very distinct ways. Although it is stereotypical to generally classify them all this way, many have poor communicative abilities—especially when communicating with people who are not technologically adept—but they can communicate with the machines like few others can. In this sense, they speak their own language, a language shared by their select group of “computer nerds” and the machines themselves.
The Influence of Computer Nerds
The importance of computer nerds cannot be denied because they understand and revel in a world that many of the rest of us not only do not understand but also have no interest in. The intricacies of computer systems, programming, and troubleshooting do not excite many people, but instead merely frustrate. With this difficulty, the computer nerds provide much help. To them, every problem or question is a challenge, a game, a puzzle to be solved. They thrive on the excitement of figuring out the computer’s complexities instead of being driven into insanity. To them, it all makes perfect sense instead of being perfectly senseless.
We can thank computer nerds for developing computers, continually improving their performance and efficiency, and helping solve those ever-present problems. However, because computer nerds understand a world with which many are unfamiliar, they also have the capability to be threatening and dangerous should they decide to use their specialized knowledge in deviant ways. Opposite the good computer nerds that promote efficiency, productivity, and success are the computer nerds that develop and spread malicious computer viruses, hack into computer systems, steal computer-stored data, etc. Their weapon in this war against the average computer user is their extensive knowledge, a knowledge shared by few others. However, as always, a few bad apples do not ruin the whole batch, and it is likely that the number of “good” computer nerds far exceeds the number of the “bad” computer nerds.
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