Gone are the day of the pocket protector wearing, computer geek. The geek of the new decade is a different breed. The modern geek is, first and foremost, a professional. Yes, we still love Star Wars and Star Trek, and we may collect an action figure here and there, but we are not fanboys/fangirls. For 2KX I have compiled a list of  “should do’s” for the geek of the new decade.

1. If you don’t already speak it, learn English. There is a reason Linus Torvalds does all of his Linux in English as opposed to his native language, Finnish. English has many more words than most any other languages. It is a mongrel language, made up of its own words and adaptations of words from almost every other language in the world. This gives English the ability to be a highly technical language.

2. Learn geekspeek. NetLingo.com and the Urban Dictionary are great places to learn the varied words that make up our unique style of talking, IMHO

3. Learn a programming language. It doesn’t matter which language you learn first, and knowing the ins and outs of ipconfig doesn’t count. Python is one of the easier languages to learn. It really doesn’t matter which you choose to learn first, all the languages share certain commonalities that make learning additional languages easier.

4. Study a martial art. Again it doesn’t really matter which style you take, just find one that suits you.

5. Update your wardrobe. T-shirts and jeans are fine for around the house, but you are a professional now. Dress like it. Get a GQ magazine and look through it, then hit the stores. Spend wisely. Go to stores like Target and Kohl’s offer good looking, updated clothes at much lower prices.

6. Be comfortable in your own skin. We are geeks. We control the content of the world. Without us the net and the planet it controls comes to a stop. We are no longer “that nerd.” Be proud. Above all, just be.

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