Geek sociology
At a few points during OSCON I took a look at the geeks all around me, and what came to mind is how different the reality is than the stereotype of the socially inept misfit. Most appear to be married and have diverse (and even non-technical!) interests. They are comfortable in social situations, and they certainly like to party (and drink).
Two traits seem to define the geek. One is an intense interest in a small group of subjects that drives him/her to gain a vast, deep knowledge of them. The other is the tendency to judge others in the context of their knowledge of, or at least respect for, those subjects; a definite meritocracy seems to exist among technical geeks. Funny that when when a workaholic business executive or a determined athlete exhibits these traits, that person is held up as a shining example.
Of course, those geeks who ridicule someone for mispronouncing Klingon or forgetting the name of some obscure hobbit’s grandmother’s name deserve the derision they get. Fortunately, most geeks appear to apply their minds to more useful endeavors like programming or engineering or science.