Why Businesses Need Geeks
Geek obsessions with random minutia should probably make them pretty decent fact checkers, researchers, spin doctors, and so on. Take this story on WKRC Cincinnati about two masked men robbing a gas station, for example. This part threw me for a loop:
One of the suspects, disguised as Superman, held a semi-automatic handgun to the clerk’s head.
If you’re going to dress up like a superhero to rob a gas station, at least pick one with a disguise. I wondered if maybe the criminal wears glasses on his day job. Seems to have just been a fact-checking error, though, as it’s referred to as a Spider-man mask later in the story. See, one geek in the newsroom and none of this would have happened. He or she could have pointed out that Spider-man and Superman are two different people, and perhaps even speculated as to who would win in a fight.
I suppose you do need to draw a line between geek fact checking and truly obscure nit-picking, but I would insist that the example above is not an isolated incident. Allow me to remind you of the Reebok Incubus debacle (more info here). For reasons such as these, some day it may even make sense to list your stint as a Dungeon Master on your resume.
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At least he didn’t dress up as Batman and rob the store at gunpoint. That totally would have not been canon. He probably would have gone and had sex right afterwards too.
By Dan on 04.21.06 10:59 pm
I have actually placed the fact that I have an “extensive knowledge of graphic novels” on my resume, and I start my wonderful new library job on Monday.
By Jeremy on 04.22.06 11:17 am
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