Traditionally Nerdy Pursuits

[techieMoe]

I'm a nerd, always have been. Yet generally speaking my nerd-dom has tended to be confined to certain subcultures and not others. For instance, I enjoy console and computer role-playing games but never got into tabletop versions like Dungeons & Dragons.

I like writing software but I've never been the least bit interested in hardware. The only electronics I play with are the consumer variety that come pre-assembled.

Recently I had the opportunity to dip my toe into a realm of nerd-dom previously unexplored: collectible card games. Specifically, Magic: The Gathering. Wizards of the Coast (the company who publishes the cards) was having some sort of promotion where if you gave them your mailing address they'd post you a playable deck of 60 cards as sort of a "get you hooked" kind of deal.

I filled out the form and last weekend I got my cards. Sure enough, two themed decks of 30 cards and a quick-start guide. I've been reading up on how to play and playing their tutorial software, but I haven't actually played a real game yet. I've scheduled some time with my little brother tonight to give it a go. So far it looks like fun.

Have any of you had a similar experience? Has a new area of nerdiness that you might have overlooked presented itself to you recently?

[elija]

Well I am a geek (or maybe a nerd) who loves to code. I haven't been in to hardware since college where we had to design, build from scratch (including the motherboard) and program a micro-computer. I used to play Dungeons and Dragons a lot in my younger days but I just don't have whole weekends to give to it now I have never been into the card games like Magic.

A couple of years ago a new area of nerdiness open up before me like a vista... it is called Linux

[Paramethis]

yeah i know how that goes my nerdiness grow all the time.
started as books, then went to playing on computers, then exploring how and why the games worked, then modding games, programing graphing calculators, building my own comp, rc hobbies, card games (magic, poker, rummy, and spades), little bit of D&D, cars, engines, guns, and most recently linux for the second time in my life. as my wife pointed out for me anything that i can take apart or atempt to figure out how it works. pretty much if it makes my brain go tick i am down with it. ohh yeah the only channels my tv hits is history and discover.

Hope some other geeks and nerds apprecate my passions

[Bemk]

I think most of us on the forums are nerds, Linux is still a nerd OS, although I think non-nerds should at least get a feeling of how it works.

I'm into coding (while my whole informatics class is complaining about how difficult Java is, I'm learning how to write my own C libraries and laugh in their faces) and into logic, but on the other hand I'm into mountain hiking as well. It may seem a bit strange to some people, but my dream is to concur most of the highest mountains, like Mt. Blanc, Mt. Everest or K2.

People actually laugh at me because I'm into hiking, but I don't care about what people think about me, I never did. The only thing I don't like is when they start to bully you for being different, in other words, being your self. I think that as a nerd I just have to get used to it.

My change of interest came with Weblinux, I never was interested in web development, I always like to keep files and things on my own system. WebLinux was a turning point, I became interested in the things I need to build this system (It's a beginning community). I also had some reverse thing a while back.

I couldn't run my flight simulator any more because I was running Linux, but then I simply lost interest. I think it disappeared with my windows way of thinking. The loss of interest started when I decided not to expect the system to work like windows in even the most basic things, and see me here, helping out my schools administrator, XD.

[Cabhan]

I remember MtG. I used to be more into it (haven't played in a long time), but it was a fun game.

I haven't had any new nerdiness experiences recently, sadly. I've gotten a bit more back into video games, but I've been doing CCGs, video games, anime, and programming for a long time. My most recent interests are martial arts and the Japanese language, but I've been having fun with those for about a year now.

[rokytnji]

(Gets on Soapbox)

I was a Big Kid. I am a Big guy. Learned chess and pinochle from protecting a nerd friend in grade school. Physical things always came easy for me. My hands earn my money. Every body here knows I'm a Biker .

I like knowing how things work. After that, I like to customise that thing to my version of what it should be. That's probably why when I picked up a computer in my 50's, Linux appealed to me as a tool , to customize my computer. People where I live are astounded by what my gear can do and they are not the scruffy kind of people like me. Linux has no prejudices , is only as good as the guy operating it. Kinda like Harley Davidsons.

(Gets off Soapbox)

[Artesia]

I'm from Europe and watched Star Trek reruns as part of growing up. It was just a part of life. Only when I came to the US did I become aware that 1) there are people who don't watch Star Trek and 2) that they actually look down upon those that do and stick a label on them. That seems as bizarre as children calling someone's mother a name. It's a third person insult and therefore less effective, as far as I'm concerned. It's a totally different approach but I think those two things are somewhat related.

But I digress.

My other geeky/nerdy pursuits include anime and tabletop D&D. And a bookcase full of Star Trek novels, and a DVD case full of scifi series. Babylon 5 was the best thing that ever happened to TV imo. Math was a fun subject in school.

I also have other pursuits like making jewelry, hiking, photography, and a passion for road trips. Maybe the geekiness comes through here because I can spend an hour analyzing a map that I've already seen a million times before. I have a major thing for maps.

Oh, and I wear glasses, so I definitely get nerd points for that

[jayd512]

My most recent interests are martial arts and the Japanese language...

I'm can't seem to learn anything more than little snippets of other languages, but Martial Arts is something I can relate to. It's been a bit since I did anything with it, but I was a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and varsity in high school Wrestling! Which Art are you studying?

Kinda like Harley Davidsons.

I ain't a biker...
yet! Gimme time, you'll probly see me rippin' up some asphalt!

1) there are people who don't watch Star Trek and 2) that they actually look down upon those that do and stick a label on them.

1) people that ain't cool!
2) People that are less cool than the people in answer 1!

Math was a fun subject in school.

I didn't really think it was all that fun. But I liked it because it was a 'right or wrong' subject. None of that half-credit stuff. I enjoyed being good at it, but that's a little different than thinking it's fun, I guess.

[Cabhan]

I'm can't seem to learn anything more than little snippets of other languages, but Martial Arts is something I can relate to. It's been a bit since I did anything with it, but I was a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and varsity in high school Wrestling! Which Art are you studying?

That's pretty nifty. I only started martial arts when I got into college, so I'm not too far along, but I've been doing wushu for about 1.5 years, and I just started Kendo in July.

Maybe the geekiness comes through here because I can spend an hour analyzing a map that I've already seen a million times before. I have a major thing for maps.

A friend of mine is super into maps. I've never been too excited about them, but they can be pretty cool to look at and realize how small you are.

[Artesia]

A friend of mine is super into maps. I've never been too excited about them, but they can be pretty cool to look at and realize how small you are.

For me the map thing is mainly looking for roads I want to drive on future road trips, or remembering past trips.

For places out of my reach, I just like to know what's where. When I was watching Lord Of The Rings, every time they made a place name reference I paused the movie and looked up the location on the map that came with the DVD. The map and terrain were the coolest things about that movie for me!