Calling Alexa users “geeks” is like calling McDonald’s diners “foodies.” Like, it might be true, but all current evidence to the contrary. Like if you wrote an article “Foodies are upset that McDonald’s is adding HFCS to their barbeque sauce.”
Geek has always just meant an enthusiast or connoisseur of some topic. But anyone who remembers the cultural cachet of “ThinkGeek” et al in the 00s will recall how the term became synonymous with a consumerist obsession of new tech gewgaws, and other “brainy kid” toys. Like being a gearhead, but about nothing in particular - just the toys.
Anyway, that association has forever stuck in my head, and probably many others’.
I mean, if we’re being pedantic, geek was a term for a specific circus performer who would eat gross things and hammer nails into their faces. Anything to gross out the audience. The term expanded to mean “weirdo” over time, and became associated with the term “nerd.” It has further evolved with the popularity of the phrase “geek out” to mean someone with strong enthusiasm for a specific topic. That’s the most recent popular definition of the word.
Either way, any legitimate “geek” would already know that they shouldn’t expect Alexa to respect their data privacy.
Calling Alexa users “geeks” is like calling McDonald’s diners “foodies.” Like, it might be true, but all current evidence to the contrary. Like if you wrote an article “Foodies are upset that McDonald’s is adding HFCS to their barbeque sauce.”
Geek has always just meant an enthusiast or connoisseur of some topic. But anyone who remembers the cultural cachet of “ThinkGeek” et al in the 00s will recall how the term became synonymous with a consumerist obsession of new tech gewgaws, and other “brainy kid” toys. Like being a gearhead, but about nothing in particular - just the toys.
Anyway, that association has forever stuck in my head, and probably many others’.
I mean, if we’re being pedantic, geek was a term for a specific circus performer who would eat gross things and hammer nails into their faces. Anything to gross out the audience. The term expanded to mean “weirdo” over time, and became associated with the term “nerd.” It has further evolved with the popularity of the phrase “geek out” to mean someone with strong enthusiasm for a specific topic. That’s the most recent popular definition of the word.
Either way, any legitimate “geek” would already know that they shouldn’t expect Alexa to respect their data privacy.
I suppose I walked into that one with my phrasing…