[111] in Humor
HUMOR: Nerdstock
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (abennett@MIT.EDU)
Mon Feb 28 10:22:14 1994
From: abennett@MIT.EDU
To: humor@MIT.EDU
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 10:18:02 EST
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 94 13:39:42 PST
From: ckleinja@Novell.COM (Connie Kleinjans)
From neuhold@ifs.univie.ac.at
DALLAS (AP) -- Sporting pocket protectors and glasses, they
abandoned their keyboards and emerged from darkened computer rooms
by the thousands to unite.
For these self-proclaimed computer nerds attending their first
``Nerd Weekend,'' the thicker the eyeglasses and the bigger the
assortment of pens in shirt pockets, the better.
The gathering -- also dubbed ``Nerdstock'' -- was held by Computer
Associates International Inc. for 2,000 of its employees.
Nerds have come a long way since Dr. Seuss, also known as
Theodore Geisel, introduced the word in his 1950 book, ``If I Ran
the Zoo.''
Even though the word is sometimes seen in the company of labels
like geek and dweeb, computer types -- who also like to call
themselves ``technologically advantaged'' -- insist being a nerd is
chic these days.
Britta Hoffner of Frankfurt, Germany, says she's a nerd and
proud of it.
The support engineer and Computer Associates employees from
across the nation and 26 other countries attended the conference
that ended Monday.
``The problem with nerds is that they work in extremely focused
and limited situations -- staring at computer screens,'' said Hesh
Kestin, spokesman for the Islandia, N.Y.,-based Computer
Associates.
``Sometimes they don't know what is going on elsewhere in the
company,'' he said.
The company's chairman and chief executive officer, Charles B.
Wang, wrapped up the three-day program Monday with a ``nerd power
rally'' and farewell address. Everyone got official pocket
protectors.
Wang named Billy Keefer, a technical support manager, Nerd of
the Year.
``The N-word is no longer an insult,'' said Keefer, 39, who
works in Slough, England.
``We chose Billy because he's not only a super-nerd who's
passionate about technology, but because he's totally unaware of it
-- there's nothing nerdier than being a nerd and not knowing it,''
said Wang.
Kestin claimed that the nerds' gathering was the first of its
kind.
``Usually companies do this for their sales staff to motivate
them,'' he said. ``Computer Associates did it because we wanted to
make sure all our technology people in 27 offices around the world
all have the same vision of where the company is going.''
The gathering was also called ``Nerdstock'' -- like a Woodstock
celebration for computer jocks. For fun, they donned goggles to
pursue simulated targets in three-dimensional worlds through
virtual reality machines.
But they hardly got carried away. For Saturday night's
entertainment, they tested Computer Associates business software.
An open bar featured only nonalcoholic wines and beers.
Nerds were in their environment during a computer trivia
contest, JeopNerdy, on Sunday night.
``They were all questions about computer technology, including
one about what operating system is the equivalent of neutered
servants,'' said Kestin.
The answer? Unix (sounds like eunuchs), a master computer
control system developed in 1969 by AT&T, which licensed the
product to other companies.
Only a nerd would know that, Kestin says.
