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The Dork Boundary
Published: Fri 20 Nov, 2009 | 25 CommentsI've never thought of myself as being inherently geeky, dweebish, etc. Often my perspective of myself is somewhat the opposite. I'm not fat, or particularly skinny. I hike during the weekends and go to the gym. I don't program code, or design websites. I'm not part of a Halo clan or something. I think people who belong to things they like to call 'clans' are either complete dweebs or white supremacists.
But, right before this, I commented on someone elses blog. I stated vehemently that I would rather - MUCH rather - crash down and play a new RPG all night than go out on the town. Plus, the other night, a mate texted me to go out and see a movie whilst I was playing Forza 3... I finished the race I was doing at the time, which put me up another level (which = new prize car). When I saw what the prize car was, I replied "Nup. Bizy".
That's normal. Right? Uh, right? (cue ambient crickets)
Perhaps that sounds like solid "game-dork" behavioural patterns to you. These recent occurences got me thinking about exactly that. How do you set the boundaries in deciding whether somone is just a regular guy/gal who plays games (sweet as) or a complete cyberdork (not good)?
Because I think that the latter is not a nice thing to be labelled with, even if it does actually represent reality. The classic image of the "gamer" to many people, even in tech-savvy 2009, is that of a sweaty, corpulent bloke, with a curiously misplaced arrogance, reeking of BO and surrounded by discarded corn snack and soft drink containers. He wears a brace for his permanently OOS'd wrist. Perhaps his mum holds a pot behind his ass when he wants to toilet (see South Park "World of Warcraft" episode). Not the best image, for sure.
But here's me, a normal-looking, relatively fit and healthy bloke, a relatively non-programmy bloke, and I'm fairly certain I've got gaming habits (or have displayed habits in the past) that probably give our pathetic stereotype above a run for his money.
Consider that:
- I had, at one particular point in time, 3 different characters on Oblivion, each more than 150 hours, 2 of them over 200 hours.
- I have racked up 170 hours on DS Bleach: Dark Souls
- I have more than 200 hours clocked on Fallout 3
- I could finish Street Fighter 2, Super Street Fighter 2, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom 2, and Sega Rally in the arcades, when I was 15.
- When the 360 launched in March 3 years ago, I pulled 2 sickies on 2 consecutive days just to play a certain launch-day title. I had 30 hours on the clock after those 2 days. And it was f**kin awesome. I regret nothing!!
...to name a few.
That dork-boundary, it's not a discrete thing. It is actually very analog. Is it determined by appearance, game time counters, spending, spending relative to earnings, number of clans belonged to, how heated up you get when you see someone slagging off your favourite title/console on a forum, er how many days off work you took for a new console launch, your high score? What about how good you are? What about Tana Umaga? Didn't he buy a whole freakin' Gamesman store?!? I'd rate that as hardcore super-game-dork behaviour, but I'll let you tell him coz I'm busy that day ahem cough...
So there you go. How would you decide?
LS
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FacebookCOMMENTS (25)
Who uses "dork" anyway?.
Also, I suspect that, what with you being a product of NCEA and all, you have failed to grasp the overriding rhetorical and vaguely sarcastic nature of the missive.
I hope any further comments will come from persons with a slightly higher level of language and comprehension skills than Takm3ck here, and god forbid, be of a more constructive nature.
This is the first one I've written so some decent comments would be welcome; that way I know whether or not I should find something else to do when I should be working.
Cheers folks.
Tbh Im a nerd and I honestly dont care...I enjoy what I do...and most of my mates accept it.
Funnily enough, the only people that dislike my habits are those that are non-PC savvy....people that never used PC's.
So weirdly enough, I find the stereotyping people simply to be those that dont get it.
As for "dorks", there are those that are simply socially inept...they can be dorks...Im supremely outgoing but occasionally I'll say no to the night out so I can relax and hit some anime or play some new game...In my eyes that doesnt count me as a dork...it counts me as the current society norm :D
That's my reason for staying inside all the times. Yes, I'm a dork. :D
OK Takm3ck, you see, if I wrote, say, f**kwit or c**tface, NZGamer probably wouldn't publish the article. If you don't know what those words with the asterisks in them are, go and ask mum or dad to explain them to you. They are what grown-ups call "naughty words". Also, I suspect that, what with you being a product of NCEA and all, you have failed to grasp the overriding rhetorical and vaguely sarcastic nature of the missive. I hope any further comments will come from persons with a slightly higher level of language and comprehension skills than Takm3ck here, and god forbid, be of a more constructive nature. This is the first one I've written so some decent comments would be welcome; that way I know whether or not I should find something else to do when I should be working. Cheers folks.
You wanna metal mate?
Take a joke.
perfectly normal ;)
But see here in some of these comments, people have already voiced slightly different criteria in dishing out that label, so just goes to show.
Takuya, shadowbandit, p-nutter and srassy all made slightly different, but nonetheless valid, points/statements.
"Staying at home playing Persona 4 is far better for society than hooning around and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
That's my reason for staying inside all the times. Yes, I'm a dork. :D"
Awesome. Awesome to the max. Stay proud man. I couldn't agree more.
BTW Takm3ck, for the 2nd time, I have failed to fully grasp what it is you are trying to communicate to me. "You wanna metal?" Huh??
It was definitely 3D fighting back in the day. Partially what spurred this on was a mate referring to me as the d-word - I almost took offence at it, but then wondered if it was actually true or not. But see here in some of these comments, people have already voiced slightly different criteria in dishing out that label, so just goes to show. Takuya, shadowbandit, p-nutter and srassy all made slightly different, but nonetheless valid, points/statements. "Staying at home playing Persona 4 is far better for society than hooning around and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. That's my reason for staying inside all the times. Yes, I'm a dork. :D" Awesome. Awesome to the max. Stay proud man. I couldn't agree more. BTW Takm3ck, for the 2nd time, I have failed to fully grasp what it is you are trying to communicate to me. "You wanna metal?" Huh??
Your mate referred you as being a dork, some mate that is. I did not think that "dork" applied to gamers. Ive only ever heard gamers being called nerds or geeks.
'Geek With Swag'
Find that balance between games and social activity and you cant go wrong.
imo i dont feel dork is the right word though, dork to me means a stupid person, or idiot/jerk, its vulgar meaning is p*nis/d!ck.
Ive been a jerk my whole life lol and if the person was nicely spoken i was called a dork, if the person was a bit ruder id be called a d*ck lol
I feel gamers are more synonymous with the terms nerd and geek generally.
I like your blog though because i have been thinking the same thing recently.
I mean ive done high school, 4 yr of uni, been working >40hr/wk as a physio for the past 7-8yrs, i go to the gym 3xweek, i mountainbike 1-2xwk, play golf 1xmonth, i plan on buying a kayak soon to do that a few times a week... but yet i do like to play a few hours on my console every 'other' day and go on the net maybe an hour a night.. and?... my girlfriend calls me a 'nerd'... constantly.
lol go figure?
Personally I prefer going to the movies or hanging out with mates than playing games, and I play games as time-fillers when I can't do anything else. I do get annoyed if a friend decides to play a game instead of hang out though, it's like, "Damn, you're f**king anti-social, get a life."
Lmao, ridiculous after what I just explained, but true nonetheless.
Here's a funny example of the way I look at it. I like dancing. I'm actually quite good too, it's something that just comes naturally to me. But as a guy you can't really say that because in the same way gamers might be labeled "dorks" or "geeks", a guy who says he like dancing is instantly labelled "ghey" (something I don't get seeing gay people are no better or worse at dancing generally speaking). Anyway these titles really mean nothing cause at the end of the day your just a person who enjoys doing something.
And I replied that if I had used, say, f**kwit or c**tface instead of say, "dork" or "dweeb", then it wouldn't be published. I wasn't actually calling him those names, so take it easy. And what would want a medal for, anyway?
For those who are confused, such as Oliver, I didn't lash out at Takm3ck, certainly not in any disproportionate way. His comment was "who uses dork anyway?" - not a very useful comment, most would agree; as the writer of the article, such a comment is vaguely insulting. And I replied that if I had used, say, f**kwit or c**tface instead of say, "dork" or "dweeb", then it wouldn't be published. I wasn't actually calling him those names, so take it easy. And what would want a medal for, anyway?
You dont get out much do you?.
True but I honestly don't see why he lashed out at Takm3ck in the first place. Takm3ck didn't really say anything insulting. This leopardsqueezy guy reminds me of that guy that got banned on the forums for lashing out at guitar93.
But the rest of the insults arent really necessary, this reminds me of someones comment about how people online make up for their real life alpha male dominance. It could be happening right now.
And note to Oliver, if you want to see what harsh comments REALLY look like, go check out a YouTube comment page, esp one from a religious-themed clip. Think you'll agree I, and anyone else here, was pretty restrained by comparison.
I'm probably quite happy to be in the former
I play games, but I wouldn't label myself strictly as a "gamer", I go to the gym, but I wouldn't label myself a "fitness fanatic". Here's a funny example of the way I look at it. I like dancing. I'm actually quite good too, it's something that just comes naturally to me. But as a guy you can't really say that because in the same way gamers might be labeled "dorks" or "geeks", a guy who says he like dancing is instantly labelled "ghey" (something I don't get seeing gay people are no better or worse at dancing generally speaking). Anyway these titles really mean nothing cause at the end of the day your just a person who enjoys doing something.
The only people who say it's gay are those dudes in the sidelines looking at you as you're pulling in chicks by the second whereas they have two left feet.
Michael Jackson is the greatest dancer the world has ever seen, and he could bring on girls by the hundreds of thousands.
No, dancing is not gay. I find it funny how people can't dance.
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