[Air-L] nerd culture and new media

[murrell at berkeley.edu]

You might want to look at Chris Kelty's new book (just out), called Two
Bits: The Cultural Significance of Free Software. Throughout the book he
unabashedly chooses to call all the programmers, engineers, and others
involved in free software "geeks." He's pretty much turns the nerd
stereotype around. The books not really about that issue, but let's say it
performs it. Plus, it's a really good book.


> Does anyone know of any recent research about how new media relates to
> nerd culture stereotypes? There are a large number of very recent
> books and news articles about this topic, and some claim that being
> nerdy is going mainstream. Presumably they mean it's not necessarily
> defined by computers and A/V and pocket protectors anymore, but video
> games and MMORPG's and MySpacers and other activities that may break
> the traditional white male nerd stereotype. Computer science is still
> as nerdy as ever, a perceived by kids, but do we know if new media
> studies or cultural studies indicates different trends in other areas?
> Speculation welcome, even if you don't know of any research being done on
> it.
>
> Thanks very much,
> Sarita
>
> --
> Human-Centered Computing
> College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology
> www.cc.gatech.edu/~yardi
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