Why Social Media
Tuesday, 31 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
The big deal is that personal information spreads fast on the Internet. Result: Email Inbox privacy is one of today's most sensitive and intricate issues affecting nearly everyone – individuals, businesses, and Internet systems alike. Clued-up users who are in the know of the matters want to protect their email inboxes though beginners or those who have lots of free time on hand usually do not care until later. The majority of the Websites first ask users to register and give some personally identifiable information including email addresses so that they can reach out to potential customers and people with particular interests. "Over 90 percent of Websites ask visitors to register," as per an estimate, for those 'great benefits' -- full use of the Website, membership to certain services or communities, subscription to newsletters and alerts, and more.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Information Technology, Nation, Social Media
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, December 31, 2024,
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Mud Construction
Monday, 30 December 2024
This article appeared in monthly Techno Biz
The future lies in mud architecture. Though this sweeping statement may sound prehistoric, but it is very relevant to modern times. Building living spaces with mud is a tradition dating as back as the start of civilization. Some excellent examples from the Great Mosque - the world’s largest mud building and UNESCO’s World Heritage site – to the oldest surviving mud specimens found in the Harappa, Pakistan, show the continuous use of mud buildings.
The future lies in mud architecture. Though this sweeping statement may sound prehistoric, but it is very relevant to modern times. Building living spaces with mud is a tradition dating as back as the start of civilization. Some excellent examples from the Great Mosque - the world’s largest mud building and UNESCO’s World Heritage site – to the oldest surviving mud specimens found in the Harappa, Pakistan, show the continuous use of mud buildings.
Having grown up in mud house myself (before I moved to urban center), mud buildings have a special place rooted deep in to my cultural consciousness and this personal bond encourages a more intimate relationship between me and the mud as the material transformed from formlessness to form. Hence my interest in mud architecture and how I see its future in Pakistan.
Labels: Construction, In Print, Mud
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, December 30, 2024,
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Treat Me Like a King
Saturday, 28 December 2024
In villages, people still live without accessible roads or other civic amenities of this modern age. No telephone or the Internet, even electricity is a recent phenomenon; some are still without it. You see one village and you have seen all. This was the setting where I spent the first twenty years of my life savoring the freedom of adulthood. It is where I decided what (and how) I wanted to do with life. It is where my mother, brothers, and friends live. It is where I return whenever my active life allows me to. It is where I want to settle and spend my future.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, December 28, 2024,
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Lahore Lahore Aye
Friday, 27 December 2024
I first became familiar with the city of Lahore during the 1970s, and now, after wandering about in different parts of the world for over thirty years, I have come once again to be part of it.
Away from Lahore, I wondered if all the rhetoric about the magic city had any substance. Land of superlatives, Lahore is Pakistan’s second biggest and one of the most prosperous cosmopolitan cities, home to universities and colleges, spiritual centers, and historic, cultural, commercial, and political center. It has been a land of plenty for centuries. “Lahore is one of the greatest cities of the East,” wrote William Finch, a traveler from the West, in his journal back in 1610.” I found new answers every day.
Read more »
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 27, 2024,
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Say it with flowers
Flowers bring people together. Blossoms can fuel a flaming passion, calm a raging jealousy, comfort a living being and or earn a living. Presenting flowers or sticking a flower in someone's hair or on lapel is a romantic and cherished social folkway. Aside from romantic and poetic delights, there is commerce in flowers too. Now florists are seen in posh neighborhoods in most big cities. One can see single rose to bouquets on sale on every corner in urban areas. Rates of flowers vary from customer to customer and from time to time. Where the flowers come from?
Flowers come from agricultural farms. There are so many around the country. Patoki town is famous for flower growing and has one of the ‘biggest clusters of flower, fruit and decorative plant nurseries in the country. Growing flowers and tree plants and selling is a major business concern in the sleepy town situated in the suburbs of Lahore. Town famous for flowers all over the country is dusty with all problems of small towns: power outages, water shortages, lack of sanitation and management. Single bazaar in Patoki where one can buy most utility items is congested due to excessive encroachments of all sorts. Residential area in town is a mixed cluster of houses widely varying in size, style and quality. But, you cannot see many flowers grown in Patoki nurseries in the houses. Instead, people keep their cows, buffaloes and goats in the streets.
Read more »Labels: Nation, Patoki, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 27, 2024,
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Pothohar Plateau
Thursday, 26 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
The discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites gives enough historical evidence about Soan civilization and its continuity in the Pothohar (also spelled Pothwar, Potowar, or Potohar) Plateau. The people, colourful landscape, lakes, hill ranges, flora, and fauna are sufficient reasons to explore the land, which is largely off the beaten track, and one does not see many backpackers in the area.
Some of the world history has started from this region. The first residents of the land we now call home were Stone Age people in the Potwar Plateau. They were followed by the more urbane Indus Valley (or Harappan) civilisation which flourished between the twenty-third to eighteenth centuries BC. Some of the earliest relics of Stone Age in the world have been found in the Potohar region, with a probable antiquity of about 500,000 years. The crude stone implements recovered from the terraces of the Soan carry the account of human grind and endeavours in this part of the world to the inter-glacial period. The Stone Age men produced their equipment in a sufficiently homogenous way to justify their grouping in terms of a culture called the Soan Culture. Around 3000 BC, small village communities developed in the Potohar area and began to take the first hesitant steps towards the formation of society.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Plateau, Pothohar, Pothwar, Potohar, Potowar, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, December 26, 2024,
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Google Books
Wednesday, 25 December 2024
Google Books is an extensive online library that includes millions of books in various formats, including PDF. To search for book excerpts or chapters in PDF format, visit books.google.com, enter your keywords, and click the "Search" button. You can then use the "Any format" dropdown menu to filter results by “PDF.”
In this case, the filetype operator you're interested in is PDF, as in “filetype:pdf”. By typing out “filetype:pdf” followed by the specific keywords you're searching for, you tell Google that you want only search results that contain PDFs.
Query like this: ""Nahjul Balagha" filetype: pdf
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, December 25, 2024,
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How nations look at their women?
Societies pride in different strengths: Some give importance to bravery, some to democracy, and some nations think that freedom of expressions, development and or education are the hallmarks for their long-term sustenance. “The nations should be judged on how they look at their women,” writes Abbas Khan, the author of Urdu novel Mein Aur Umrao Jan Ada, his eleventh, that I have had the chance to read.
There is a famous saying that every thing in fiction is true except dates. But in the novel written by Abbas Khan even dates are true because he has based his novel in the back ground of five very famous women in the history: Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Quratul Ain Tahira (Iran), Mughal Princess Noor Jehan and Umrao Jan Ada.
Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda and wife of Menelaus, considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Her abduction by Paris caused the Trojan War and made thousand ships drown.
Cleopatra (actually Cleopatra VII) was the last of the Ptolemies, the Macedonian-descended pharaohs who ruled Egypt beginning in 304 B.C. Cleopatra has come down through history less for her administrative skills than for her beguiling ways, which she used in an attempt to keep Egypt free from Roman domination. Among those whom she charmed was Julius Caesar, with whom she had a son, Caesarion. After Caesar’s death, Cleopatra joined forces with Caesar’s colleague Marc Antony; they became lovers and political allies against Antony’s rival Octavian. Octavian’s forces finally defeated those of Antony and Cleopatra in the naval battle of Actium in 31 B.C. The two lovers fled to Alexandria and, faced with defeat by Octavian, committed suicide. Legend has it that Cleopatra died by the self-inflicted bite of a poisonous snake called an asp, though no firm evidence exists to support that claim.
Read more »Labels: Abbas Khan, Books
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, December 25, 2024,
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Throne of Origins
Tuesday, 24 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily the Nation
The actual “Road to Swat” bifurcates from the great Grand Trunk Road near Nowshera. About a kilometre below the highest point on the Road to Swat, the commuters can see the Takht-e-Bahi Mountains in the middle distance from the road. The ruins of one of the grand monastery of the past are situated on the top of a 152-meter high hill, about 80 kilometres from Peshawar and 16 kilometres northwest of the city of Mardan. While Swat is famous for different reasons now (rise and fall of the Taliban), some interested people still visit Takht-e-Bahi - a Buddhist monastery developed between the 1st and 7th centuries AD.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Takht-e-Bahi, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, December 24, 2024,
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Cycle of vulnerabilities
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
When rivers were raging and floodwater was submerging more areas down the country, I was in my village situated in the beautiful basin (called Bela) of River Jhelum about three kilometers downstream from Rasul Barrage. Most of the green swathe in Bela, where I remember looking for ladybirds as my earliest memories in life, is under flood water. Our location makes us vulnerable to floods more than anyone else.
Read more »Labels: Flood 2010, In Print, Memories
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, December 24, 2024,
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How many friends you have online?
Monday, 23 December 2024
When the 5000 friend limit on Facebook just isn’t enough in this age of friendaholism!
Labels: Social Media
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, December 23, 2024,
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The Fad That Fades
This article appeared in daily Dawn
Sending greetings on occasions is a traditional part of our culture, and people from all age groups, particularly children, revel in sending and receiving greetings. With Eid around the corner, the custom is once again triggered, but unlike earlier many years, when it was greeting cards that ruled the roost, this is now the age of electronic messaging.
Sending greetings on occasions is a traditional part of our culture, and people from all age groups, particularly children, revel in sending and receiving greetings. With Eid around the corner, the custom is once again triggered, but unlike earlier many years, when it was greeting cards that ruled the roost, this is now the age of electronic messaging.
While greeting cards hold a charm of their own, most young people prefer the ‘techie’ way of exchanging greetings, since it is far more hassle-free, and definitely more affordable. And hence, the this age-old custom of paper cards gave way to e-greetings, courtesy, the hundreds of site which offer free e-greeting cards with spectacular graphics, funky, innovative messages and background music. But the latest fad today is greetings via text messages on cell phones.
Cell phone mania has taken over the entire nation and has become an inseparable part of everyday life almost everywhere in the world. Their usage is exponentially growing, thanks to the tough competition among many cell phone brands; the word is that more companies are coming in operation soon. And while the gadget may be used for other purposes as well, like listening to music and capturing pictures, the most popular function – other than talking of course – remains messaging, which comes out full throttle during Eid.
Labels: Dawn, In Print, Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, December 23, 2024,
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Oh, Dear Khalid Ghias
Sunday, 22 December 2024
General (Retd) Sikandar Shami, Nina Shami, Mrs. Nighat Naseem, and others hosted a memorial event at Gymkhana on 20 December at 4 pm to commemorate and celebrate the life and personality of Khalid who was able to touch the lives and hearts of so many, some even without meeting in person.
“The memorial of Khalid Ghias was simply incredible. I have made my Wassiyat (Will), I need the same memorial,” said Farah Moiz. The best of Lahore spoke: Kamran Lashari said it best that the soul of a city is shaped neither by its politicians nor by its admin; it’s the people like Khalid who build and add to its social and cultural value.
Dr Aamir Khan said, “I have never seen anyone celebrated like this. I sat transfixed listening to my childhood hero Javed Iqbal (the famous cartoonist), Governor Shahid Hamid, Zahid Hamid, PTV GMs of those times, the Gymkhana president, Ambassadors, and many more pay tributes to Khalid Mamu: all were eloquent, respectful, funny at times, but very sincere in paying respects to a wifeless, childless man who touched the hearts of so many and taught us that relationships are built not through blood but through Ehsaas. I must thank Gen Shami here who pulled it off magnificently. Not easy to bring together such diverse people and maintain the grace of the occasion.”
Nadeem Alam wrote, “Khalid was an institution, a walking encyclopedia whose vast knowledge spanned centuries, continents, and cultures. His lectures on history were the stuff of legend, leaving listeners in awe of his intellect and passion. With an uncanny ability to recall even the most obscure references, Khalid's opinions were always delivered with unwavering conviction.”
“No topic was off-limits for Khalid, from politics and philosophy to literature and the arts. His fearless candor inspired lively debates, and his generosity earned him a vast network of friends and admirers,” added Nadeem.
Khalid's family was the community he built around himself at the Gymkhana Club. His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched, the minds he expanded, and the hearts he warmed.
I struggle to find words that fully encapsulate his unique persona. A man who often threw caution to the wind, yet even in his recklessness, the end that eventually came was beyond imagination. Rest in peace, dear Khalid Ghias. Your absence will be deeply felt, but your impact will continue to inspire and educate future generations.
Labels: Khalid Ghias, Obituary
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, December 22, 2024,
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What is Gujrat famous for?
Saturday, 21 December 2024
This article appeared in daily The Nation
While cities are dynamic centers of creativity, commerce and culture, these benefits are often undercut by environmental problems, lack of civic amenities, inefficient governance, and administration. Centuries old historic city Gujrat is a classic example where one can see all the hazards of urbanization’.
Commuter who prefer to drive on familiar and congested Grand Trunk Road rather than going on isolated Islamabad-Lahore Motorway pass through Gujrat city that has stretched from bridge on the River Chenab to the bridge on Bhimbar Flood Stream.
Read more »Labels: Gujrat, In Print, Nation, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, December 21, 2024,
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Joy of being at Lahore School
Friday, 20 December 2024
Read more »
Labels: Lahore School of Economics, Photo Stream, Real Life
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 20, 2024,
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The Future of Surveillance
Thursday, 19 December 2024
This article appeared in daily Dawn Oct 11, 2003 issue
How does biometric technology work? Any of the biometric identifiers of a person is measured. The sensing device checks all possible dimensions like length, width, thickness, and surface area of the identifier. Resultant unique characteristics are processed and stored on computers as a sample. A mathematical representation of the identifier is retrieved when the user’s identification is required and verified by comparison with the pre-held records. In addition, the sensor updates the configurations every time identifiers of the same person are read. The results are automatically processed to cater to different changes over time. A database of biometric identifiers may be stored at a central location, at place where it is to be used, or on electronic devices.
Biometric in desktop computing has been around for some fifteen years now but it still is a relatively newer concept for the general users to grasp.
Biometric in desktop computing has been around for some fifteen years now but it still is a relatively newer concept for the general users to grasp.
Labels: Dawn, In Print, Information Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, December 19, 2024,
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Matters of hearts – Ram La’l’s love letters to Abbas Khan
Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Ram La’l is to Abbas Khan as Abbas Khan is to me. Only Ram La’l Abbas Khan equation is more visible in recently published book titled Sultnat-e-Dill Say – compilation of letters written by India Urdu writer Ram La’l to Pakistani writer Abbas Khan over a period (1987 -1995) of time. They are all love letters.
People still write letters in this age of fast communication when most have switched over to email, cellular phones and social media channels. In his letters, Ram La’l has documented the contemporary literary history. His letters to Abbas Khan not only show personal relationship, love and affection between the two but also document what was happening and how in different fields of Urdu literature – new books, short stories, translations, literary functions. Most of all, Ram la’l’s silent efforts to urge Abbas Kahn to write more and to write everywhere and to read, read and read everything published not only relating Urdu literature but also of diverse subjects that help understand human behavior.
I suggest everyone who has any love for the written words must read the book that is published by Caravan Books, Sadar Multan Cantt.
Labels: Abbas Khan, Ram La'l, Urdu
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, December 18, 2024,
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Khate-e-Ra’ana - calligraphy script invented by Ibn-e-Kaleem
Friday, 13 December 2024
This article appeared in the weekly Friday Times
In the past few decades, perhaps no calligrapher has created more waves in the field of calligraphy than Ibn-e-Kaleem – the inventor of new script Khate-e-Ra’ana, which literally means beautiful. Ibn-e-Kaleem already stands above the streams of calligraphers who have come before him.
Today he works in his father’s studio where he grew up. Experimenting with the styles of Nastaleeq, Kufi, Riqa, Diwani and Naqash, he is churning out master pieces and achieving greater recognition by the day.
Read more »Labels: Arts, Calligraphy, In Print, Khate-e-Ra’ana, The Friday Times
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 13, 2024,
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Gogera Insight
Thursday, 12 December 2024
This article appeared in daily the Nation
Situated on the bank of river Ravi on Okara Faisalabad Road, Gogera Sadar was once an important and dignified town in the plans of Central Punjab. The town is reduced to a shabby and sleepy suburb of Okara today. Gogera still boasts its importance when it was British power centre and district headquarters from 1852 to 1865 and the part played by the resilient people of the area during War of Independence in 1857. The stories of the war that was fought around Gogera echo in the pages of history books. While traveling, off the beaten tracks, not only do you travel in soot-free and serene environment but you also see what normally remains hidden. I have had a chance to explore Gogera along with Dr. Norbert Pintch - a German architect by profession and a volunteer by choice – who is working on an idea to convert the ruins of the British Court building into a monument. “Remain of British Court are important signs of built heritage of Pakistan and should be preserved for next generation,” Dr. Norbert says.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, December 12, 2024,
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Plagiarism, Prove it!
Wednesday, 11 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
"If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism - if you steal from two, it's research," writes.
American screenwriter Wilson Mizner
Broadly speaking, plagiarism, as per the popular literature on the subject, refers to using another person's work without giving credit. This dangerous trend is not new, but the advent of the Internet has facilitated the speed and methods used.
It is a chronic problem greatly facilitated by the resources rich Internet. Students (mostly those who are not Internet savvy), who plagiarize, do it the old-fashioned way here -- finding some relevant article printed somewhere and getting it typed. In case one article does not cover all dimensions of the topic, a wary student may get some old book on the subject (perceiving that the teacher might not have read it), mark apparently relevant paragraphs and give it to the typist to prepare the assignment. The source material is commonly known among students' fraternity as chappa or nuskha. Some may proof read the typed paper, correct mistakes and clear irrelevant references in the text while some other may not take the trouble of reading "their work".
Labels: Education, In Print, Information Technology, Nation, Plagiarism, Students
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, December 11, 2024,
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Net Cafes
Monday, 9 December 2024
Internet cafes have played a visible role in promoting internet usage. It is a public place where people can use a computer with internet access for an affordable fee. Café may or may not serve as a conventional café. Besides internet connection, a number of cafes also provide other services such as printing, scanning, CD viewing and burning. Some even conduct internet training classes for beginners. The word is that some of the cafes around the world are being used for activities much beyond their scope.Eva Pascoe, a PhD student while sitting in the coffee shop of London City University conceived and decided "to put a permanent PC connection in a coffee shop and link it to internet."
Labels: Culture, Information Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, December 09, 2024,
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My Urdu Blog - Social Media
Sunday, 8 December 2024
Labels: In Print, Roznama Pakistan, Urdu Blogs
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, December 08, 2024,
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In DeSOM
Saturday, 7 December 2024
Labels: Real Life
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, December 07, 2024,
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Footpath Culture
This article first appeared in the daily Nation
Footpaths (also called sidewalks or pavements) are paths designed for pedestrian traffic and often run alongside roads. Footpaths are more common in modern urban areas and are sometimes separated from the roads by tree lanes or flower beds (depending on available spaces and prior urban planning).
Read more »
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, December 07, 2024,
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Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Qura tul Ain to Umrao Jan Ada
Friday, 6 December 2024
Societies pride in different strengths: Some give importance to bravery, some to democracy, and some nations think that freedom of expressions, development and or education are the hallmarks for their long-term sustenance. “The nations should be judged on how they look at their women,” writes Abbas Khan, the author of Urdu novel Mein Aur Umrao Jan Ada, his eleventh.
There is a famous saying that every thing in fiction is true except dates. But in the novel written by Abbas Khan even dates are true because he has based his novel in the back ground of five very famous women in the history: Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Qura tul Ain Tahira (Iran), Mughal Princess Noor Jehan and Umrao Jan Ada.
Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda and wife of Menelaus, considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Her abduction by Paris caused the Trojan War and made thousand ships drown.
Read more »Labels: Abbas Khan, Books
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 06, 2024,
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Straw Engineering
Thursday, 5 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
We are very familiar with straw. Explore the countryside and you will see dried stalks of threshed grains, especially wheat and rice everywhere. Straw is used as fodder, for covering floors, and thatching roofs, and in weaving mats, screens, baskets, ornaments, hats, fans and more.
We are very familiar with straw. Explore the countryside and you will see dried stalks of threshed grains, especially wheat and rice everywhere. Straw is used as fodder, for covering floors, and thatching roofs, and in weaving mats, screens, baskets, ornaments, hats, fans and more.
Building homes and other living structures with straw is also tradition dating as back as to the start of civilization. Since prehistory, human beings are using straw as a construction material. The incorporation of machine compressed bales seems to have started in early last century though. Compressed straw bales are being used like bricks in the buildings.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Straw Architecture
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, December 05, 2024,
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Mud Architecture
Wednesday, 4 December 2024
This article appeared in monthly Techno Biz
The future lies in mud architecture. Though this sweeping statement may sound prehistoric, but it is very relevant to modern times. Building living spaces with mud is a tradition dating as back as the start of civilization. Some excellent examples from the Great Mosque - the world’s largest mud building and UNESCO’s World Heritage site – to the oldest surviving mud specimens found in the Harappa, Pakistan, show the continuous use of mud buildings.
Having grown up in mud house myself (before I moved to urban center), mud buildings have a special place rooted deep in to my cultural consciousness and this personal bond encourages a more intimate relationship between me and the mud as the material transformed from formlessness to form. Hence my interest in mud architecture and how I see its future in Pakistan.
Read more »The future lies in mud architecture. Though this sweeping statement may sound prehistoric, but it is very relevant to modern times. Building living spaces with mud is a tradition dating as back as the start of civilization. Some excellent examples from the Great Mosque - the world’s largest mud building and UNESCO’s World Heritage site – to the oldest surviving mud specimens found in the Harappa, Pakistan, show the continuous use of mud buildings.
Having grown up in mud house myself (before I moved to urban center), mud buildings have a special place rooted deep in to my cultural consciousness and this personal bond encourages a more intimate relationship between me and the mud as the material transformed from formlessness to form. Hence my interest in mud architecture and how I see its future in Pakistan.
Labels: Appropriate Technology, Environment, In Print, Techno Biz Mag
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, December 04, 2024,
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My Homepage
Tuesday, 3 December 2024
Homepage is a new genre brought into existence by the Internet. Everyone who uses a connected computer has a homepage. Some users keep having the same homepage that came when they bought a computer? Some others pick new ones: blank or showing their main interest on the Internet.
Homepage, also called as a default page, "is the main page or the first page of a Website that a browser opens with, or where the browser will return if the Home button on the Navigation toolbar is pressed." A good homepage should attract, and hold the attention of the visitors and direct them to content within the rest of the site. Webmasters and designers obviously go a long way in their endeavors that users make their sites' Homepages their own, apart from tweaking them for the search engines. Most Websites have options like this: 'Make us your home page, click here to make us your home page, click to make this as a default page. But that is not enough particularly with savvy and choosy users.
Read more »Labels: Information Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, December 03, 2024,
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Once upon a time, there was life offline
Monday, 2 December 2024
Having to survive without the Internet when everyone seems to be living in cyberspace and achieving is a new kind of anxiety. It is tough to perceive life offline, especially for those who have integrated the Internet into their lives and work.Labels: Information Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, December 02, 2024,
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She Geek
Sunday, 1 December 2024
This article appeared in the monthly Spider.tm
First, let us see the origin of the term geek and establish why geek girls are not geek boys. Tom Ziegler researched the origin and changing usage of the term geek and quoted this in the geek.com feature, "It appears that "geek" outstrips "nerd" by almost 400 years! Seems Mr. Alexander Barclay back in England wrote the following in 1570: He is a fool, a sotte, and a geek also which choseth ... the worst [way] and most of ieoperdie [jeopardy]. Why, old Willy used it in Twelfth Night, Scene I, as Malvolio says to Olivia: Why have you suffer'd me to be imprison'd, kept in a dark house, visited by the Priest, And made the most notorious gecke and gull That e're invention play'd on?
The word geek is derived from geck or gek or geke. In its original meaning, "geek referred to a foolish, inept, or clumsy, single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept or a carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as biting the head off a live chicken." As per MS Word 2000 UK Dictionary geek is a synonym of nerd, weed and bore. Eric Raymond describes "computer geek" as "one who eats (computer) bugs for a living." But that was in the past.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Information Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, December 01, 2024,
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