A couple of weeks ago, I ran into an article called "Tips on Geek Dating," written by Helene McLaughlin (check out the link) http://www.geekmom.com/2011/08/tips-for-dating-geeks/ The post is a reaction to the harsh and critical blog by Alyssa Berznak http://imgur.com/O8qUI in which she is supposed to describe her hazards of online dating sites but, instead bashes a man who is a world champion player of the “Magic The Gathering” game.
After reading Alyssa's post, I just have a few thoughts; what does she mean by "normal" and why did she feel the need to single out this one guy?http://www.geekmom.com/2011/08/mamas-dont-let-your-babies-grow-up-to-date-alyssa-bereznak/
I'm Normal:
So what makes someone normal? Alyssa doesn't seem to define, but one would assume that she thinks anyone who dabbles in the "geek world" is not normal. If you read the first statement of her blog she seems to say that judging a nerd is okay. Being a geek is a broad term. I for one am a geek of Star Wars and video games, othersgeek out over comic books, computers, or even Lord of the Rings.
I think this is what happens to a lot of "geeks" for a lack of a better term. Geeks have been stereotyped for a long time and people today still view us as Urkels (Remember that kid from Family Matters). The problem here is she never says what is "normal" to her. She has every right not to want to date him but, not be so judgmental.
Blog Hating:
Even blogging you have to be careful what you write about. People forget that this is not a private diary. It would have been one thing for Alyssa to write about the woes of online dating without mentioning any names, instead she singles out this one guy and proceeds to berate his love of this particular card game.
I believe that she did this to purposely hurt him. She must have known he could easily find her blog and read what she had to say. I guess the rule of thumb here is to be careful what you post and don't use it to get even with others. Many people were outraged by her disrespectful blog. Think on this: what you write reflects who you are. Sure, no one will know what you look like, but cyberspace keeps everything stuff doesn't just go away.Don't be yourself - be someone a little nicer. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach. ~Winston Churchill
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama
