Author Topic: The Geek's "100 things to do before you die" list (Read 22103 times)

40hz · « **on:** May 06, 2009, 05:00 PM »

From our friends over at the Daily Cup of Tech blog - a first pass at a 'bucket list' for us folks!

Link: http://www.dailycupo...e-you-die-checklist/

Some of my favorites from the list:

Do Cool Things to Altoids Tins
Survive in a Linux Argument
Run Operating System inside a Virtual Computer
Put Open Source Firmware on a Router
Move Completely To Open Source
Setup a Computer in the Cloud

and especially: Unleash a Laser Pointer’s full potential

I'd add: Do at least one PXE diskless OS installation for Windows, BSD, and Linux

(Muy Macho!)

fenixproductions · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2009, 05:29 PM »

33 done

I wonder does analog camera usage count as "98. Use a Camera in Manual Mode"?

In my entire life, I've made maybe 20 pictures using digital one in opposite to hundreds with analog.

Edited: grammar nazi strikes back!

40hz · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2009, 05:40 PM »

33 done

I wonder does using analog camera usage counts as "98. Use a Camera in Manual Mode"?

In my entire life, I've made maybe 20 pictures using digital one in opposite to hundreds with analog.
-fenixproductions (May 06, 2009, 05:29 PM)

Yes it does. I still swear by my trusty Canon F1!

"f22 and be there."

Edvard · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2009, 07:34 PM »

Must...
Resist...
...
AAAAUUUGGGHHH!

Okay, where were we?

2- Done. Leaflinux, you're a peach!
3- Does a shared file on the main folder count?
4- More times than I can shake a stick at.
9- Does a floppy count?
10- The only thing standing between me and 1337 is this one. I WILL compile my own kernel one day... (evil laughter, lightning bolts, etc.)
12- Done it. For money.
14- 3 down, 2 to go.
20- Every other day.
21- Many, many sad attempts that will one day bear misshapen fruit, I assure you.
22- In my sleep. With a pencil and graph paper.
24- Done.
25- Wait... What??
26- Phfft... Next...
29- It's been years, but I'm sure I could do it again.
32- Just out of curiosity.
34- One of these days, I'll have WiFi, and I'll use this.
38- They come up with new ones every freekin' day, how we supposed to memorize them all?
39- That guy and that girl. On that show. With the ufo's.
43- I've got one better... How about CONVERT x264 INTO SOMETHING SANE!!
47- Took a year and a half with Windows 95, but once I was there, buddy I was THERE!
48- Squirt gun. Salt water. Motherboard. You do the math...
53- And taught my son at the same time.
65- Ah yes, but did you power it with 1 battery cell?
69- ROFL. |\|3X7...
71- That's how me and my son play checkers anymore...
78- Done. Qemu, you're a peach!
89- Survived? Debatable. Land some delicious suckerpunches on an overzealous fanboi? You betcha!
94- ROFL'd the first time. "Oh, Toto!..."

So I'm somewhere around 25% done, 50-60% do-able and the rest require investing in stuff I have no need for (Un-brick an iPhone? How 'bout you pick it out of the concrete I'm going to "accidentally" drop it in...).

lanux128 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2009, 08:00 PM »

i read through the list and downloaded the PDF. now i am wondering what will the list look like in 10 years time?

momonan · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2009, 08:23 PM »

I thought all geeks were required to learn pen twirling. http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=eqSrGciObbs

app103 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2009, 09:49 PM »

Even better question than how many have you done...

Which one was the first you did?

For me it was either 50 or 62...

I don't remember if my grandmother taught me the constellations before I learned the lock picking, but I learned both as a kid. (and the lock picking was combination locks, not key locks)

It all started when someone in their infinite wisdom thought it would be a good idea to stimulate my curiosity by buying me a giant see-thu combination lock for Christmas. (thanks dad!

)

Dell[a] · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2009, 09:50 PM »

I read that list to Gothic and he was getting really agitated. He has done more then half of that list by a long shot... and then plainly said that the list is not "Geeky".

Then again, this is gothic we are talking about... the geekiest of all geeks. LOL.

40hz · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2009, 11:06 PM »

I read that list to Gothic and he was getting really agitated. He has done more then half of that list by a long shot... and then plainly said that the list is not "Geeky".

Then again, this is gothic we are talking about... the geekiest of all geeks. LOL.
-Dell[a] (May 06, 2009, 09:50 PM)

Way cool! If that's true, maybe we should get Gothic to put together The Real Geek's Real Geek List for Donation Coder.

How 'bout it G-Man?

Gothi[c] · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2009, 11:35 PM »

I don't like 'top lists'... but the bulk of these things are things normal (l)users would do. not geeks.... the first things that come to mind would be inventing a time machine, a warp drive, and stuff like that... then stuff like designing a new computer architecture and writing an OS for it, or do some super-computing with FPGA's. One of the applications are decrypting gsm signals in near-real-time. Grabbing all kinds of stuff obscure digital stuff out of the air with modded radio's is fun too. The GNU radio project has it's own hardware and software for playing with these things... etc... but not any of the stuff on that list

Seriously... learning javascript? writing a wordpress theme? Since when is stuff like that geeky? The java syntax is so simple, infants should be able to do it without effort. In fact, learning any computer language I would consider non-geeky, as any self-respecting geek would grok the syntax of any language within a few hours to a day, depending on the language. Really learning the in's and out's of a language is something done by using it every day over the years, which I don't think is what the author had in mind... meh. Ah, and according to that guy, using tinyurl is geeky now too. Aaaaarghjkllllllll.

f0dder · « **Reply #10 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:16 AM »

FPGA == supercomputing? O_o

Gothic, how many normal people take on programming? (besides a few "power users" that might do some office scripting). Java != javascript by far, and while both languages might be relatively simple and not as batshit insane as LISP, but they're still programming... which is geeky/nerdy/whatever.

TinyURL and WordPress might not apply, though. Guess I should check the whole list once I get a bit more time

mouser · « **Reply #11 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:40 AM »

Clearly the intent of the list is to expose a certain class of people to goals that they would not normally do.

So maybe if we rename this list to "100 geeky things for non-geeks to do before you die"

And then for people like Gothic we need a list of "100 normal person things for geeks to do before you die"
it can include things like:
"learn to drive a car"
"learn how to cook yourself a real dinner"
"learn how to talk to a girl"
"talk to someone about an operating system other than linux while keeping your blood pressure under 220"
...

app103 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:43 AM »

"learn how to talk to a girl"
-mouser (May 07, 2009, 02:40 AM)

Shouldn't this be on your list?

I think Gothi[c] figured that one out already...he's married to one. Didn't he have to talk to her first?

mouser · « **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:49 AM »

Didn't he have to talk to her first?

nope.. he met her in a computer chat room.

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:49 AM »

Shouldn't this be on your list?

hey.. i'm working my way down the line, slowly but surely. this week i'm re-learning how to drive a car.

Dell[a] · « **Reply #15 on:** May 07, 2009, 10:48 AM »

Hahaha!

Gothic has to learn how to talk to people in general, not just girls.

I, on the other hand, need to learn how to talk "geek" with Gothic so he talks to me more.

especially now that I am not working all day anymore. I think I am driving him a bit crazy.

rgdot · « **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2009, 11:16 AM »

Can't believe I have done 32 of them.
lol @ 44, 59 and 61. 59 is more wishful thinking

Gothi[c] · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:36 PM »

FPGA == supercomputing? O_o

No, the idea is to build a cluster of FPGA's for specific purposes...

Gothic, how many normal people take on programming?

A lot? but they take on stuff like javascript and vb

Anyway, it's just a general observation that the bar for what is considered geeky is getting lower and lower. Now yuppies that throw money against a bunch of gadgets are geeks too... $:-\$

I'm going back into hiding now

Eóin · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2009, 04:18 PM »

"Create a WordPress Plugin" or "Create a WordPress Theme from Scratch", come on. Those are but two examples of "cool to be a geek" rather than actually being on the fringes of normal society.

Sorry but without a doubt that list was written by a mac fanboy who doesn't realise they are.

Lashiec · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:43 PM »

nope.. he met her in a computer chat room.
-mouser (May 07, 2009, 02:49 AM)

Hahahaha, the Linus way

Anyway, it's just a general observation that the bar for what is considered geeky is getting lower and lower. Now yuppies that throw money against a bunch of gadgets are geeks too... $:-\$
-Gothi[c] (May 07, 2009, 12:36 PM)

When even newspapers proclaim it's cool to be a geek (or even worse, a nerd), you know it has permeated the mainstream. Ah, modern societies, they always end up assimilating even the most obscure countercultures.

But seriously, shortening an URL? Are you kidding?

app103 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:24 PM »

But seriously, shortening an URL? Are you kidding?
-Lashiec (May 07, 2009, 05:43 PM)

I think it would only qualify if you wrote your own url shortener, otherwise every dipwit celebrity on Twitter is a geek, and last time I checked, Oprah wasn't a geek.

Deozaan · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:43 PM »

But seriously, shortening an URL? Are you kidding?
-Lashiec (May 07, 2009, 05:43 PM)

I think it would only qualify if you wrote your own url shortener, otherwise every dipwit celebrity on Twitter is a geek, and last time I checked, Oprah wasn't a geek.
-app103 (May 07, 2009, 06:24 PM)

Well, Oprah just might be a geek. Just look at their definition of what a Geek is these days:

The Geek's "100 things to do before you die" list

Basically, if you have a cell phone and a laptop, you're a geek.

Lashiec · « **Reply #22 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:49 PM »

Gee, the Geek 1.0 is the prototypical "nerd" that only existed in comedy movies.

Deozaan · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:50 PM »

Gee, the Geek 1.0 is the protypical "nerd" that only existed in comedy movies.
-Lashiec (May 07, 2009, 06:49 PM)

Interestingly enough, Geek 2.0 is also the prototypical geek in modern film and television. And reminds me a lot of the "Mac" in the Mac vs. PC ads.

fenixproductions · « **Reply #24 on:** May 07, 2009, 07:01 PM »

These geeks must be left-handed*!

Oh! And geek 2.0 either has no face or everyone in his ar**

*) The most right-handed people I know have watches on left arm.