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Ok, I'm positive that this is not an new topic to be talked about but I had to know if theres been any change in this recently. I am a geek and I hang out with mainly geek friends. However, lately I have been hanging out with other "clique" people and I will make a joke that my geeks would die laughing at or at least get the reference too (I'm not that funny of a person :3)
It started out with some obscure references that they wouldn't get that I could dismiss as "Ok, they aren't that geeky, oh well." Then it just became "What the hell? Do they live under a rock?"
The first few were things like, during texting I would send GG or HF or GL. Those aren't that obscure but they didn't understand them, and these are people who text constantly. I figured, oh it must just be game texting I guess.
Then when a couple of these friends were complaining, I sent "Less QQ more Pew Pew"... They didn't get that either..
One day my boss (at a computer information center where I am a technician) told us to do one thing but meant another, I yelled out "It's a Trap!" My co-worker looked at me like I had three heads. I said Just call me Admiral! Still, nothing. I said General Akbar... Star Wars? Then he finally got it ( I hope) and rolled his eyes.
The major thing that hit me, however, was when I drew a Triforce on my paper when I was doodeling because I was bored. Three of my friends didn't know what it was and one who thought he did, asked if "That was the thingy that zelda had to find so he could rescue the princess".... I almost died.
How different is our "Geek Culture" to that of, well, everyone else? Why is it that when making these kind of references like "Over 9000!!!" or "Do or Do not, there is no try", people just look at you funny? I get that they aren't the most common said phrases but come on! I even had someone ask what 4chan was one time.
I know I can't be the only person out there whose notice comments that you've said (that were legitimately funny) go un-laughed at!
What have you said recently that people around you didn't get?
 
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United States24495 Posts
Ummm, if you aren't in particular internet circles then you will get just about 0 of those references. I'm not surprised in the least by how the people around you responded to them... and I am somewhat surprised that it surprises you.
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motbob
United States12546 Posts
Saw a funny story on Reddit about a guy working at a small company that had $100,000 lying around in their account.
He went to the CFO and asked why there was so much unspent money. "Well, that means that the company is doing really well, blah blah etc"
"Well, sir, I understand, but we need to macr-- er..."
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I have to agree with micronesia on this. I wouldn't expect the average person to get those terms. I even had to google what Triforce was.
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On June 08 2011 11:57 micronesia wrote:
Ummm, if you aren't in particular internet circles then you will get just about 0 of those references. I'm not surprised in the least by how the people around you responded to them... and I am somewhat surprised that it surprises you.
I think the reason that it surprises me so much, is that I've been exclusivly hanging out with geek people most of my life at work and at school. So now that I'm starting to branch out a little, I'm learning that all of the things I'm use to hearing, aren't as common as I thought. Just like when I thought everyone would know how to plug in a mouse since it is so easy and common with the people I know then come to find out that there are sooo many people who don't know how to do that, it shocked me.
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On June 08 2011 12:01 Mastermind wrote:
I have to agree with micronesia on this. I wouldn't expect the average person to get those terms. I even had to google what Triforce was.
!! I'm losing faith  I loved Zelda..
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When I was an RA I put together a diversity program called "Introduction to Nerdology - The Internet". The idea was to introduce famous internet web sites (a la 2008), memes, and sayings that were well-known in the geek subculture, but sometimes encountered elsewhere. Most people learned about this for the first time (making it a great diversity program!).
A LOT of people don't know about these things. Think about it, the average American spends most of their free time watching tv, socializing, exercising, and doing housework. Surfing the internet and encountering inside jokes? Uncommon in the grand scheme of things!
Last year I had a lot of geek friends and communication was fine. I moved to Louisiana for grad school and haven't found many people who get the simple references. One day I walked into the study room and the geekiest guy next to me (who can't even hold a candle to my 12-year-old brother's geek knowledge, btw) told me to "get the reference". He had written "the cake is a lie" on the chalkboard. Not one of the five students in the room understood its significance. So I gave a very thorough explanation. During that time two more people walked in who had never even heard of Half Life, let alone Portal!
Think there might be some truth to that 'forever alone' stuff?
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I am imagining the cringe factor involved with those situations and I feel bad for the people that were subjected to the lame jokes you were putting out. Most people go water skiing and bake cakes and go to the gym on weekends. They have no idea about obscure internet jokes. They use the internet to book hotel rooms and check the weather, that's about it.
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I know all of those terms and I wouldn't laugh at a single one of them.
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United States24495 Posts
I kind of have to admit I am a complete asshole on facebook (the rare time I go on there) because I use the same attitude I do on the rest of the internet... ppl don't appreciate that lol
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Why is it that when making these kind of references like "Over 9000!!!" or "Do or Do not, there is no try", people just look at you funny? I get that they aren't the most common said phrases but come on! I even had someone ask what 4chan was one time.
I know I can't be the only person out there whose notice comments that you've said (that were legitimately funny) go un-laughed at!
I also would look at you funny, a lot of these things just aren't legitimaetly funny at all.
Imho that's not general "geek culture" humor.
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i use the word trolling, but yea its generally pretty obvious if people are nerdy enough to get a lot of internet slang and if they don't its best to try and refrain from using nerdspeak.
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On June 08 2011 12:14 Dhalphir wrote:
its admiral ackbar...
<3 thank you! See, I was hopping my "nerdy" (>_>) Boyfriend would have caught that since he claims he loves star wars now but nope.. he didn;t *sigh* Ty for getting it though ^_^
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My opinion of people who can't differentiate between when and when not to use internet terms or as you've called it, 'geek' speak in real life is generally quite low. To me, it seems like using a specific sport's slang out of context - there's a time and a place for it.
Life lesson: Not everyone thinks the same way as you, and shouting out 4chan memes isn't the way to find out if this is true or not.
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On June 08 2011 12:02 M155_G33k wrote:Show nested quote +On June 08 2011 11:57 micronesia wrote:
Ummm, if you aren't in particular internet circles then you will get just about 0 of those references. I'm not surprised in the least by how the people around you responded to them... and I am somewhat surprised that it surprises you. I think the reason that it surprises me so much, is that I've been exclusivly hanging out with geek people most of my life at work and at school. So now that I'm starting to branch out a little, I'm learning that all of the things I'm use to hearing, aren't as common as I thought. Just like when I thought everyone would know how to plug in a mouse since it is so easy and common with the people I know then come to find out that there are sooo many people who don't know how to do that, it shocked me.
Hehe, Nal_Ra didn't know how to hook up his own PC and he was a pretty successful progamer :p
You'd be surprised at how much computer knowledge some people don't have. I know people who have two or more PHDs in aeronautical sciences and they can hardly run a freaking power point.
I try and stay away from nerd humor unless people I KNOW will get it.
There was this one guy (doesn't work for us anymore) that would use 4chan memes in full-on corporate emails.
"in b4 someone calls about this"
"y u no put on email"
and even the occasional "LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL"
I know what all of those are, and they...
a) weren't funny at all in a corporate email where clients are likely going to be "reply to all" or "Forward" on.
b) just made me want to punch the dude.
Straying off topic, anyways - my point was that a lot of people just don't really catch on to that stuff because they don't know the "story" behind why it's funny / a meme. :3
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This is an interesting (to me) topic I've brought up with friends before. How the internet has become one giant inside joke, and how you can literally miss out entirely on these jokes by being off the internet for as little as a week. You think they're weird for not getting the references but I bet if you left TL (or the internet in general) for 2 weeks and came back you wouldn't understand a ton of stuff.
It's cool and sad at the same time. The sad part is that so much creativity is literally chiseled down into these one or two word catchphrases that fizzle out in a few internet cycles (days), and the things that last the longest are usually remembered for how terrible they were.
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On June 08 2011 13:00 Torenhire wrote:Show nested quote +On June 08 2011 12:02 M155_G33k wrote:On June 08 2011 11:57 micronesia wrote:
Ummm, if you aren't in particular internet circles then you will get just about 0 of those references. I'm not surprised in the least by how the people around you responded to them... and I am somewhat surprised that it surprises you. I think the reason that it surprises me so much, is that I've been exclusivly hanging out with geek people most of my life at work and at school. So now that I'm starting to branch out a little, I'm learning that all of the things I'm use to hearing, aren't as common as I thought. Just like when I thought everyone would know how to plug in a mouse since it is so easy and common with the people I know then come to find out that there are sooo many people who don't know how to do that, it shocked me. Hehe, Nal_Ra didn't know how to hook up his own PC and he was a pretty successful progamer :p You'd be surprised at how much computer knowledge some people don't have. I know people who have two or more PHDs in aeronautical sciences and they can hardly run a freaking power point. I try and stay away from nerd humor unless people I KNOW will get it. There was this one guy (doesn't work for us anymore) that would use 4chan memes in full-on corporate emails. "in b4 someone calls about this" "y u no put on email" and even the occasional "LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL" I know what all of those are, and they... a) weren't funny at all in a corporate email where clients are likely going to be "reply to all" or "Forward" on. b) just made me want to punch the dude. Straying off topic, anyways - my point was that a lot of people just don't really catch on to that stuff because they don't know the "story" behind why it's funny / a meme. :3
Oh, I'd never use this stuff in anything business related. And it's not like I quote it all the time time. I'll just occasionally throw out the joke and then my friends I'm with won't get it. I tend to stay away from the "y u no..." stuff when I talk or text, you don't sound funny, just idiotic haha.
But like I was saying, it just surprised me that the jokes I thought were so well known were in fact not. And as I read what everyone is saying, I was the one being idiotic for thinking that people would actually get the jokes when they are for a tighter knit circle of people.
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Of the people that understand the references, there is an even smaller population that finds them funny or enjoy meme spouting in public.
I saw "trollface" posters hung in one of my classrooms in University last semester and I was far more angry than amused. The 4chan crowd is and never has been anything to be proud of.
Oh, and Over 9000!!! is the absolute worst.. it was funny for maybe 10 minutes, 6-7 years ago.
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On June 08 2011 13:07 Feijichang wrote:
Of the people that understand the references, there is an even smaller population that finds them funny or enjoy meme spouting in public.
I saw "trollface" posters hung in one of my classrooms in University last semester and I was far more angry than amused. The 4chan crowd is and never has been anything to be proud of.
Haha I wouldn't say I am part of the 4chan crowd, I was measly saying how at one point I mentioned 4chan and some people didn't know what it was and I had to explain it to them. It was in reference to the rule 34. Some of the things that are said on 4chan end up in the image thread and that's where I find some of the funny things.
And side note: I think I would much rather be part of that small population that finds them funny then just the population that gets them. ^_^
On June 08 2011 13:04 Zim23 wrote:
This is an interesting (to me) topic I've brought up with friends before. How the internet has become one giant inside joke, and how you can literally miss out entirely on these jokes by being off the internet for as little as a week. You think they're weird for not getting the references but I bet if you left TL (or the internet in general) for 2 weeks and came back you wouldn't understand a ton of stuff.
It's cool and sad at the same time. The sad part is that so much creativity is literally chiseled down into these one or two word catchphrases that fizzle out in a few internet cycles (days), and the things that last the longest are usually remembered for how terrible they were.
I agree with that for sure. During Finals, I had to swear off TL and most of the internet. Come back and there was so many new jokes. Like the bacholorette frog that is now old news that I am only now really finding out. Its so weird yet fascinating to see how the progression of memes goes haha
And definite on the "things that last the longest are usually remembered for how terrible they were"
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EPT
