Apparently I’m not a geek

According to How geeky are you? I’m only 15 per cent geek.

That seems right.

I fail because I don’t like science fiction or any other geeky form of entertainment.

Despite 30 years of writing about technology, geek culture hasn’t rubbed off on me.

I’m not comfortable when I’m with other technology journalists who want to talk about Star Trek or Dungeons and Dragons.

To say these things don’t interest me is an understatement.

We have science fiction books on our shelves at home. People who come to our house assume they are mine. They are not. They belong to Mrs B. And apart from her reading tastes, she is even less geeky than me.

Computers do not mean geek

Most of the points I scored on the geek test come from work. After all, I’ve spent years writing about computers and technology, I know the difference between a Rom and a Ram.

Of course, I have more than one dictionary – they are tools of my trade. And yes, I confess I correct people’s grammar. Editing has been my job for most of my adult life.

In the past, people have commented on my non-geek status making me the wrong person to edit a newspaper's computer pages, run a computer magazine or write about technology.

Detached

I disagree. A level of detachment means I can make better rational decisions. I’m less tempted to air my prejudices. It means I write for ordinary people, not geeks. In fact one of the skills I'm most proud of is being able to explain tricky things in plain English.

I’m a journalist first, technology specialist second. I can – and have – written about most subjects.

And anyway, most of my work has been writing for non-geek audiences. My lack of geekiness means I can better serve their needs.