The Geek Hierarchy

Ebijin · Post by **Ebijin** » Thu Jan 03, 2002 10:41 am

<a href="http://www.brunching.com/features/geekh ... .html">The Brunching Shuttlecocks</a>, hawcha!~fDiscuss.------------------
There's a t.v. in my pocket
There's a lint ball in the corner
There's a cornflake in my brain pan
And a pie named Jimmy Horner

Red Viking · Post by **Red Viking** » Thu Jan 03, 2002 11:25 am

WOO-HOO!!! I'm near the top of the list! This is pretty damn accurate. I was laughing my nuts off!------------------
PH33R 7H3 D4NC1NG M4G3!

Red Viking · Post by **Red Viking** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 2:16 am

Hey, I just realized something. He forgot to add the shippers!------------------
PH33R 7H3 D4NC1NG M4G3!

Keith · Post by **Keith** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 3:27 am

LOL! That's absolutely hilarious! One question though - what's a 'Furry'?------------------
*In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.* - Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy)

TrueRaijin · Post by **TrueRaijin** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 4:12 am

Oh, boy. I hope you are joking... But if not, your basic furry is a person who uses an anthromorphic character online, or in other scenarios. In case you dont know what THAT means, think.... Hmm.... well, just about anything from Bugs bunny to the Road Rovers would fit. Course, thats nowhere ner some of the stuff you can find out there.
For instance, I myself am a Fox/Bear hybrid (bear shape, fox features) with purple lion's mane and eyes.

Roscoe · Post by **Roscoe** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 8:12 am

Filkers seem to be pretty well respected, but it's a very silent form of respect. Certainly, we get more than your average ficcer.------------------
<A HREF="http://go.to/onvideo" TARGET=_blank>O N Video</A>
If you have to get your privacy invaded, at least it's by three cute chicks.

Schol-R-LEA · Post by **Schol-R-LEA** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 8:47 am

Hmmmn, LARPers are pretty low down on the scale... at least I'm not a Mary Sue fanficcer. Oh, wait, I forgot - I've written a few satires in which Schol-R shows up as a plot device. Damn.And while I am not a furry myself, one of my best friends is on the concom for Fur-ther Confusion, for two years running, and keeps trying to get me to go.I see that filkers aren't mentioned. Why do suspect that if we were, it would be at the very bottom? No respect, I tell ya...------------------
Schol-R-LEA;2 ELF JAM LCF BiWM MGT GS
First Speaker, Last Eristic Church of Finagle and Holy Bisexuality
The greatest strength of the Conspiracy is that it doesn't exist.
The greatest weakness of the Conspiracy is that it does.

Blondlot · Post by **Blondlot** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 1:55 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Keith:
 One question though - what's a 'Furry'?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>You don't know? Consider yourself lucky. Creepy, creepy... Ex animo,
m.d

Vitriol · Post by **Vitriol** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 2:46 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>You don't know? Consider yourself lucky. Creepy, creepy...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Oh, I dunno. I read Gene Catlow, Kevin & Kell, Class Menagerie, Ozy & Millie, Suburban Jungle and SSDD, all of which feature Furries, and as far as I've seen it's just a style with its own conventions, and which allows a few extra animal-related jokes.(oh, and Freefall and Polymer City, which sort of count too)

Vitriol · Post by **Vitriol** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 4:26 am

Lol that's good (and surprisingly accurate)!I'd disagree with the Heinlein, though. Those who read his stuff because they enjoy the stories should be equal with normal sci-fi fans, while those who read it for the moral messages Heinlein so enjoys should probably be more accurately plotted on a different chart (somewhere to the right of George W Bush)Er, and whats a Filker? And shippers are people who write fan-fics about relationships between characters, right? (sorry, I don't read much fan fiction).[This message has been edited by Vitriol (edited 01-05-2002).]

PDI · Post by **PDI** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 10:06 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Blondlot:
 You don't know? Consider yourself lucky. Creepy, creepy... Ex animo,
m.d<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I am *so* tired of that.------------------
Scott Maddix
<A HREF="http://pdi.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Psychic Dyslexia Institute</A>
<A HREF="http://spoon.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Fire on the Mountain</A>

Quinch · Post by **Quinch** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 11:16 am

{blinks}{blinks again}This can't be a f&?%/(#$n' coincidence....Okay, which one of you frequents the hr.rec.humor newsgroup?------------------
Master of <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/retrograde" TARGET=_blank>http://members.fortunecity.com/retrograde</A>
Part-time Cthulhu follower {also available for children's parties, weddings and Barmitzwahs}
Winner of the Planet Baldur's Gate Official Longest Thread Ever Contest

FlyingFish · Post by **FlyingFish** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 11:46 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Vitriol:
...while those who read it for the moral messages Heinlein so enjoys should probably be more accurately plotted on a different chart (somewhere to the right of George W Bush)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Heinlein tended to range all over the map in that respect, actually. For an obvious example, Stranger in a Strange Land delved a lot into New Age concepts.

Red Viking · Post by **Red Viking** » Sun Jan 06, 2002 1:08 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Vitriol:
Er, and whats a Filker? And shippers are people who write fan-fics about relationships between characters, right? (sorry, I don't read much fan fiction).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Don't know what a Filker is, but it has to be bad since Schol-R-LEA mentioned that it should be at the bottom of the list.And yes, shippers are fanfic writers (or anyone in general) that like to pair characters off. Sometimes it gets totally out of hand though. If taken to the extreme, shippers can be absolutly MALICIOUS to each other. There have been many, MANY intense flame wars that have gone beyond the message boards.------------------
PH33R 7H3 D4NC1NG M4G3!

Schol-R-LEA · Post by **Schol-R-LEA** » Sun Jan 06, 2002 2:00 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Vitriol:
Er, and whats a Filker?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>This is the second timwe this week I've had to answer this question, so, for the sake of sheer laziness, I'll repost the answer I gave on the College Roomies from Hell!!! forum here: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Strangeone:
Filk = Song parodyHeh. A common answer, to be sure, but inadequate for any number of reasons. Then again, that's true of every known definition of filk. Filk, in the end, must be experienced to be understood. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">Filk is, as Lady Leslie once sang, folk music for folk who have never been. More simply, it is music by fans, about fandom - Science Fiction and Fantasy, mostly, but just about any topic is fair game. Most of it is parody or jokes of some kind, and the vast majority of it cribbed off of someone else's licks, but a fair amount of it is original material. It tends to be weird even by fannish standards, and that's saying something.Filk fans are called filkers, and those (like myself) who try to spread filk are called dandelions. If you listen to CRFH Radio at all, you may hear some filks that I and others have added, such as "The Eternal Flame (God Wrote in LISP)", "Song of the Ripper", "Every OS Sucks", "Flowers for Algernon", and "Secret Cranky Office Temp".Filksings are pretty open affairs, mostly, and are usually held at cons between midnight and 3 am, down in som lower floor room where no one else can hear the singers. Just about anything is permissible - but if it isn't, you'll know right away. Filk is mostly amateur work (and it shows), but a handful of professional and semi-professional singers (Leslie Fish, Kathy Mar, <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/333/jul ... tml">Julie Ecklar</a>, Dr. Jane Robinson, <a href="http://www.songworm.com/">Bob Kanesfky</a>, Lee Gold, Frank Hayes) and bands (Ookla the Mok, <a href="http://www.puzzlebox.net/">Puzzlebox</a>, <A href="http://www.angelfire.com/az2/durasbabes/">The Duras Sisters</a>) produce CDs and play the circuit to promote them, while some folk-rock bands (<a href="http://www.elfhill.com/">Annwn</a>, <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/226/urb ... tml">Urban Tapestry</a>, <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/32/aval ... ml">Avalon Rising</a>) also play filk and have been known to appear at conventions from time to time (both as acts and at filksings), as do a few comedy bands such as <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/37/thre ... tml">Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie</a> and <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/137/sia ... l">Siamese Triplets</a>.For more details look at these sites (or consult your pineal gland):<a href="http://www.electricpenguin.com/filking/">The Dandelion Report</a>
<a href="http://www.prometheus-music.com/">Prometheus Music</a>
<a href="http://www.prometheus-music.com/eli/virtual.html">The Virtual Filksing</a>
<a href="http://www.firebirdarts.com/">Firebird Arts & Music</a>
<A href="http://www.interfilk.org/">Interfilk</a> (see particularly the reprinted <a href="http://www.interfilk.org/singout.htm">SingOut!" article</a> on filkThe <a href="http://www.dnaco.net/~mobrien/filk/">"Darn Near All the FIlk on the Web" Linklist</a>Oh, and the <a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/ ... ml">Jargon File entry</a> had been recently revised, finally.Beyond that, a search under the word 'filk' on just about any search engine will give you more than you ever wanted to know about the subject.One last piece of advice: If you absolutely must request <a href="http://www.subreality.com/argo/original.htm">A Certain Well Known Song</a> (and someone always will), have the courtesy of making sure that Ms. Fish is not in the room at the time. If you know how Maritza feels about some of the more vicious or explicit fanfics here, well, imagine how she'd be if someone were to innocently post such a piece every day, for twenty years... right. That's how Leslie feels about that bit of album filler by now, and, unlike Mari, she is inclined to express her displeasure with the sort of firepower Margaret would consider excessive.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>(I would have posted just the link, but it was in the middle of the page, and not very easy to find. I figured it was easier just to copy it by hand.)I hope this piques your interest; if so, I'd definitely suggest downloading some of the samples given on MP3.com and The Virtual Filksing. Of the one's I know are available, I personally recommend all the Bob Kanefsky songs (all of them parodies, none of which he sings himself - several of them were recorded for his CD by the people he was mocking); Julie Ecklar's performances of two Leslie Fish songs - "Fellowship Going South", which is timely right now, and "Horsetamer's Daughter", which goes on forever - as well as her own song "Crane Dance"; Fish's "Grandma Went out with a Bang" and "Gamers"; "Stranger in the Mirror" by Ookla the Mok; Jeff Hitchin's "Tech Support"; Kathy Mar's "When Giants Walked" and "Flowers for Algernon" (ose, but very good) and her versions of "World inside the Crystal", "Merlin", and "Word of God"; "Penguin Lust" by Annwn, and "The Lady" by Urban Tapestry. Oh, and go ahead and listen to <a href="http://www.subreality.com/argo/bannedfr ... 3">"Banned From Argo"</a>, too. (uh oh, I said the name! I'm in for it now.) You're probably going to hear it sooner or later anyway, even if you're not into filk, and you might as well be prepared. It is a funny song, in a demented sort of way, but anything palls after, say, three or four hundred performances.------------------
Schol-R-LEA;2 ELF JAM LCF BiWM MGT GS
First Speaker, Last Eristic Church of Finagle and Holy Bisexuality
The greatest strength of the Conspiracy is that it doesn't exist.
The greatest weakness of the Conspiracy is that it does.[This message has been edited by Schol-R-LEA (edited 01-06-2002).]

Blondlot · Post by **Blondlot** » Sun Jan 06, 2002 5:06 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by PDI:
 I am *so* tired of that.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>alright.Ex animo,
m.d

Blondlot · Post by **Blondlot** » Sun Jan 06, 2002 5:08 am

b <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Vitriol:
 Oh, I dunno. I read Gene Catlow, Kevin & Kell, Class Menagerie, Ozy & Millie, Suburban Jungle and SSDD, all of which feature Furries, and as far as I've seen it's just a style with its own conventions, and which allows a few extra animal-related jokes.(oh, and Freefall and Polymer City, which sort of count too)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>That's nice.Ex animo,
m.d

Maccabee · Post by **Maccabee** » Sun Jan 06, 2002 8:20 am

There was a discussion of filk on this board a while ago, but I'm too lazy to dig up the reference right now. There's also a thread for FANS!! specific filk songs (I think it's titled "Filk of the Day" or something like that).The word "filk" derives from a typo on a convention program. It was supposded to announce "folk singing" but didn't, quite.Weird Al Yankovic is probably the best known professional filker, though he doesn't limit himself to filk.One of my personal favorite filk songs is "Gimme That Real Old Time Religion" which I've only heard snatches of (there are dozens of verses). The verse I can remember goes something like:
Get a load of Aphrodite
In that little see-through nightie.
Though she may be kind of flighty,
She's good enough for me!
Gimme that old time religion...Filkers are pretty geeky, but well-respected in the community since they contribute artistically.As for Heinlein, he was mixing some new-age concepts with a slightly twisted version of the libertarian strain of the Republican party (since largely driven from power by the Reagan revolution) and a lot of his neurotic sexual fantasies. He generally wrote well, but God help anyone who took what he wrote seriously.------------------
Risus est telum ultimum contra tyrranem. Nullus dictator exercitibus allibus ridiculem vulgi longe resistare potest.

Isobelfox · Post by **Isobelfox** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 2:18 am

Kevin & Kell is really good. It's very well written. Suburban Jungle is pretty good too, though I like my webcomics daily, thank you! <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> But I don't mind furry comics, and some furry artwork is really good, it's just the people who get a little too into it that creep me out. To wit: John Kovalik's "Escape From Dork Tower" game is a board game set in a convention hall. Two of the rooms on the board are the "scary filk room" and the "scary furry room". Make of it what you will.

Schol-R-LEA · Post by **Schol-R-LEA** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 2:47 am

I never said filkers should be at the bottom of the list, just that, given the general esteem we have been held in, we probably would be. While this has improved in the recent years, there are still plenty of fans who think of filk as a lot of silly, off-key caterwauling, and don't look at the creative qualities of it.[This message has been edited by Schol-R-LEA (edited 01-07-2002).]