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I used to live to geek.
I would read/hack/learn new technology that would quench my inner geek thirst. I would hang out in IRC channels, sign up to mailing lists, attend user group meetings, read through source code and documentation until I knew enough to be comfortable in speaking about the technology with other enthusiasts. Hacking away till 2am on a week night was not uncommon. I would add technology X to my resume, install it on servers where possible and demo it to fellow geeks, workmates and managers.
But to what gain?
I call this ‘Living To Geek’ and view it as problem that many passionate technologists have. It can have a major impact on your life aswell as the people in your life. At the time you dont realise it. Is it making you a better person professionally? Most of the time, no. It does show you know a little about a lot. In a world where non-specialised IT work is being off shored to developing countries does it make sense for professionals in developed countries to not be specialised?
In 2006 I switched from ‘Living to Geek’ to ‘Geeking to Live’. I still had a passion for technology but I made sure that the time I spent with it had a direct tangible benefit to my life and the people in it. The technology I learnt, hacked on, read about and used would align with my lifestyle. Technology wasnt a ‘hobby’ any more. I used it to improve my lifestyle, my work life, my financial status and the lives of people around me.
Next time you sit down and begin hacking away on the latest whiz bang piece of technology you’ve been saying that you’d play with for the last 6 months, first ask your self “Am I geeking to live?”.
