Talk Nerdy To Me
The phrase “talking nerdy”, once an unknown concept, is now a common occurrence. Many people get excited when tech talk enters everyday conversation. People rave about the latest and greatest application they just downloaded, or debate over a post on their favorite social network site, or gossip about a text message they just received – all while making sure they are not going over their data plan limit or course. The bar has been raised as to what counts as nerdy. I believe a proper nerdy chat is a discussion of practical technologies that you’re passionate about. If the auditory participant in your technology rant becomes overwhelmed with your mastery of tech topics – that just may count as talkin’ nerdy! Tech speak now holds a special place in conversation etiquette. For example, how do you know if the person is in to nerdy talk? How do you know when you’ve gone too far with it? To help you navigate this slippery slope, here is an info graph that explains when you’ve crossed the line into nerd talk oblivion.
Being an avid technology news junkie, my friends are more than willing to stage an intervention when I get out of control (most recent spiral was when my thoughts on a Facebook dislike button turned into a code re-structuring tutorial).I find it interesting how adversely nerd talk has impacted our social norms. Technology has created a social sub-culture where people define themselves through their choice in technological products and brands. You see logos of computer companies on people’s cars, shirts, books, and profile pictures on social networking site. Heated conversations that were once reserved for politics are now common-place in technology debates.
For example, a co-worker of mine found himself in a sticky situation over some harmless “nerd talk”. He was in the “getting to know each other” phase when she popped the big question – what type of mobile phone does he use? Lets just say they were on opposite sides of the track. She wasn’t very familiar with the phone that he was using, so like any good nerd would do – he googled it and sent her a link comparing the phones. A debate ensued; she quickly became defensive and felt that he was attacking her, and a brand that she loves. Nerdy words led to some other words, and it ended with the “not getting to know each other any further” phase.
Moral of the story is that had I shared the etiquette scale with him sooner, things may have ended very different. So I encourage you to release your inner nerd and embrace how technology has changed you. Feel free to keep the etiquette scale with you so that the next time someone says “Talk nerdy to me”, you’ll be ready.
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