Economics/Geekonomics

Geeks May Save Wal-Mart

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Geeks may just save Wal-Mart. Gods, I don't believe I'm saying this.

I'll get it out of the way, I'm not exactly a fan of Wal-Mart. It's a combination of business factors, quality, effects on community and so on. You know, the usual.  I'm not exactly going to diss success, but I think Wal-Mart's been on a kind of a race to the bottom.

In fact, it looks like that bottom is being reached pretty fast, as this article notes:  Wal-Mart shoppers are running out of money:  http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/27/news/companies/walmart_ceo_consumers_under_pressure/index.htm

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Geekiness And Normalization

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I call myself a professional geek.  I am quite proud to say that. Yet, oddly, I can remember when geek was an insulting term and not the definition–bordering–on–compliment it is today.

Or in short, I remember the 80s.  If you don't, you're actually missing quite a lot, but I digress.

Now, being an old geek, I remember when the term was basically insulting, sort of a version of "egghead" and implying a kind of pathology or maladjustment.  I remember when it was virtually the same as "nerd".

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The Geekonomy and the Japanese Earthquake.

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I really hate writing this post, yet I should.

This is the inevitable "Steve Comments on The Geekonomic Impact of the Japanese Disaster" post.  I don't want to write it because, as I create it, the crisis is still going on and people are suffering.  I don't want to write it because I don't want to get cold and detached and analytic.

I do write it because it is what I do, because the impact is important, because it is what I do for you, our reader.

I'm just noting right now I'm uncomfortable with this.

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