Real geeks stay ahead

Evolution is no respecter of seniority, and is unmoved by questions of good taste. The dinosaurs must have snorted in derision at the first mammals — curiously small, fuzzy and overheated, they had none of the attributes of real lizards. Yet when the climate changed, we had the last laugh.

The same is true today of that peculiar subspecies, Homo sapiens geekii. Twenty years ago we scurried from niche to niche, overlooked or ridiculed by the mainstream as we wrote software, soldered in RAM chips and wired up modems. Now the world is run by the things we helped to create, and we're reaping the rewards.

First the PC, then the Internet made arguments for technology that anyone could understand. The subsequent growth in the pervasiveness of the Web has been matched by an increase in the social and financial standing of those who truly understand how it works. In an increasingly technologically dependant and obsessed society, geeks have gone from underclass to ruling class.

A study released this week documents this rise as the creation of a wealthy and successful demographic — the New Geeks. Of course we're not actually new, just early adopters who ride the curve until everyone else catches up.

It's worth noting where the early adopters are now — working in autonomous systems, massively parallel distributed computing, and rebuilding their technological environment. All ideas that make normal people's eyes glaze over. Good.

There will always be geeks. No matter how much the rest of society catches up, the true geeks, the top 10 percent obsessive, eccentric geniuses will always stay ahead of the curve. The mainstream, no matter how well-padded, is boring. Only by existing on the margins of technology are they able to push its boundaries and leave room for everyone else to follow.

ZDNet UK is on the lookout for individuals or organisations that have helped to push the technological boundaries as entrants for our reader-voted Contribution to Technology award. Vote now to make your voice heard. The closing date is 2 September — and the winner is to be announced on 27 September.