Becoming a Geek.

My GCSEs were all the Sciences, Maths, and IT. At A-level I opted for Chemistry, Biology and Maths. I then went on to study Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (and drinking) at Loughborough University. I know it shouldn’t come as a shock, and to many of you it’s pretty obvious, but I have just realised in that last 7 days , and at the age of 29…I am a Geek.

The realisation started early last Wednesday morning. I woke around 06:30 to the radio alarm clock. Claire had gone to tend to her horse 30 minutes earlier, and I was left listening to the Radio 1 breakfast show with Chris Moyles. The show started with the usual opening ‘Cheesy Song’, followed by the same usual 30 minutes of chat, before they break for the news and play a song. Listening to this first 30 minutes of broadcasting was, I think, my biggest mistake.

The subject of the conversation was ‘Twitter’, and here is from where I entered the downward spiral to ‘Geek-dom’.

Growing up I have enjoyed some of the latest technological revelations. Personal stereo cassettes players, Sony Discman, iPod photo, laptop computer, high speed broadband, but I thought that this was just interest in technology. Clearly I was wrong, or at least oblivious to the truth, and my first step to Geek-dom was signing up to ‘Twitter’.

It seemed pretty harmless. I can’t quite remember my first ‘mini-blog’, it was probably something along the lines of, “Just signed up to Twitter”, or some other equally boring drivel. Can’t actually admit to entering anything more interesting since then, but hey, I’m a Geek!!

So, I start to follow Chris Moyles, and get regular updates of what he’s up to. I realise he’s following Jonathan Ross, so I think, why not follow him too. I proceed to start following BBC News, Time online, some BBC Technology reporter, Lance Armstrong, Ewan McGregor, Stephen Fry, and suddenly I can’t seem to stop checking my Twitter account. What are the latest News stories? What has Lance Armstrong had for breakfast? Why is Stephen Fry going to Los Angeles?

Then I hear about Twhirl, and Tweetdeck, two of the many purpose built software packages designed to run independently of a web browser. I can upload my boring photos, taken on my camera phone with ease, using these programs. Oh my god, it’s taking over my life!

After only 2 day on Twitter, I was addicted. Now, I find myself looking what phone upgrades I can get, that support a mobile base Twitter supporting software, so I can 'Tweet' when out and about. Whilst doing this I find a phone on my network that supports Skype, last.fm, Facebook and can be used as a mobile broadband modem, for only an extra £5 per month. At this (and baring in mind that I have only been looking at this phone, and I am not aloud a free upgrade until August) makes it ‘essential’ for me to register for, and download, Skype.

Last night I was checking my Tweetdeck, as you do, and see a post from Rory Cellan-Jones (BBC Technology Reporter) saying that ‘Spotify’ is now available in the UK, to rival last.fm. Spotify? What’s Spotify? I have to find out!!!

3 hours later I had managed to download the Spotify software, register for free, create playlists of songs, spanning decades, streamed straight from the interweb. Listened to the new Lily Allen album, and Fleet Foxes EP. The catch, I found was that every so often, you have to listen to an advert, but who cares? It’s better than local radio, better songs, less adverts, and you can chose what you listen to. In fact, I may even go as far to say that it is better than iTunes! Maybe not, but at least all the new music is free!

And there you go. The realisation hit at about 19:00 on 10th February 2009. After 29 years and 4 months on this planet, I’ve realised I’m a Geek, and I think I can handle it. Realising you are a Geek before the age of 18 would be bad, but then you’d probably go on to be the founder of Microsoft or something similar, and be worth a fortune.

At least I’ve had a good crack at been a regular person. Seems I’ll have to cut all ties with real friends now, and only communicate electronically. If you’re reading this and think, “I never see Richard around anymore”, it’s probably because I’m speaking to someone on Skype, or listening to the new Franz Ferdinand album on Spotify, or just catching up with some other Geeks on Twitter.

So, come on! You know you want to! Ev’ryone else is doing it! Just try it! What’s the worst that could happen???