Geek's guide to social life?

January 12, 2012 6:44 PM

Looking for something I believe was posted to the blue or possibly as an answer on the green: a blog post or article along the lines of the geek's (or gamer's) guide to social life. One passage I remember dealt with feeling obligated to always invite the person nobody likes to every gathering, thus making everyone unhappy. Anyone recall what I'm talking about? Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to MetaFilter-Related at 6:44 PM (9 comments total)

The article I think you're talking about is Five Geek Social Fallacies, mentioned in this Metatalk comment from 2009 but posted to the blue way back in 2003. I feel like it's come up a couple other times too.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:48 PM on January 12, 2012 [1 favorite]

Is it the Geek Social Fallacies?
posted by Neely O'Hara at 6:49 PM on January 12, 2012

I think you are looking for this particular askme, which included a link to the 5 Geek Social Fallacies, which contains advice along the lines that you mention.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:50 PM on January 12, 2012

cortex: "The article I think you're talking about is Five Geek Social Fallacies, mentioned in this Metatalk comment from 2009 but posted to the blue way back in 2003. I feel like it's come up a couple other times too."

Came here to post that as well. The relevant section:

As a result, nearly every geek social group of significant size has at least one member that 80% of the members hate, and the remaining 20% merely tolerate. If GSF1 exists in sufficient concentration -- and it usually does -- it is impossible to expel a person who actively detracts from every social event. GSF1 protocol permits you not to invite someone you don't like to a given event, but if someone spills the beans and our hypothetical Cat Piss Man invites himself, there is no recourse. You must put up with him, or you will be an Evil Ostracizer and might as well go out for the football team.

This gets posted quite frequently in nerd circles, and it does ring mostly true.
posted by Hargrimm at 6:50 PM on January 12, 2012

Yep, that's exactly it! His thoughts were red thoughts, I think you figured out precisely where I must have seen it, too. Thanks, everyone.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 12:06 AM on January 13, 2012

I came here to say that it is emphatically not "Five Geek Social Fallacies" just so that someone could be wrong.
posted by griphus at 6:47 AM on January 13, 2012

No, griphus, I think you're right, too.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:48 AM on January 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, my, GSF1 gives me the worst anxiety. What if I am the person nobody can stand? What if I'm constantly forcing my presence on people who wish I'd shut up/go away but nobody wants to be the one to say anything? Aaaaugh!
posted by Karmakaze at 3:03 PM on January 14, 2012

Worrying about it means you are not capable of being that person.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:30 PM on January 15, 2012