Where are we headed and does it matter?

In the past few weeks there's been a spate of articles focusing on what makes a geek, what constitutes geek culture and where is it headed. Probably the two best pieces were written by Harry Knowles of AICN and Patton Oswalt in an editorial in WIRED.

My take on it all? I think they're both close to mark, but where the future is headed I think will be something in between. I think geek culture will ultimately fade back into being the picked on little sibling of the pop culture family. That being said, thanks to social networks we've discovered that there are a millions more of us out there than we ever thought, so being a geek will never be that obscure badge of honour that it once was.

Ultimately though, calling this the "Golden Age" or "Downfall" of geek culture I think is largely irrelevant. Being a geek has never been about being in the mainstream or an outcast. I don't think being a geek is to be obsessed with the minutia of a a given topic either. Being a geek is ultimately about passion as far as I'm concerned, a passion that goes beyond the typical.

What I mean by that is it's something that when you see, read or listen to for the first time you know, just know that this is something that will be a lifelong part of who you are. For me, like many of my generation, it was Star Wars. I don't remember much from that age, but I can recall with great detail seeing that film almost 30 years ago.

While it's been nice to have the things I'm most passionate about enjoy the type of mainstream popularity it is, at the end of the day I don't really care. I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts. But when this ends, as all fashions do, I'll continue to be the geek I've always been. Because to me, being a geek has never been about what I'm passionate about, or the popularity of it, but simply the fact that I am.