Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Nerd Badges

This week’s Blog Azeroth Shared Topic comes from Akabeko of Red Cow Rise:

How do you express your geekery? Do you own obvious paraphernalia like a Horde-symbol bumper sticker, in-joke tshirts like the dps/ups pun, or less obviously related items like a gift from a guildie? Rather than physical indicators, do you mix nerd lingo into your everyday speech or talk/post about geekdom in non-nerd spaces? How do you advertise your nerd tendencies? Does it help you to attract new nerd friends?

Nerd Badges

Ahh, one of my dearest ways to describe myself!  I am as proud a nerd as they get.

Most of my friends and family are well aware of my nerdiness – they are aware of my gaming, my interest in computers, my love for reading and writing and my Blog (many get links to it from my Facebook).  Many are not gamers, yet are supportive of me, and even listen to my game-related rambles and/or read my Blog.

In fact, that was my inspiration for the Gamer Glossary – to bridge some of the link between myself and the non-gamers I love.  🙂

When I was young, my biggest interest was comic books – Batman and X-Men especially.  My mom was very supportive of this habit, as it was her stand that as long as I was reading, she did not care what.  And that worked very well, as I read a lot.  Comic books expanded into Dungeons and Dragons, and fantasy books became a lifelong love.  Eventually it moved to computer games – most D&D until I started playing MMOs.

Property of Wizards of the Coast

Darksun is still my favorite D&D setting.

I do not see it as a need to escape or imagining something better than what I have (expect perhaps my hopeless romantic side, heh), but as an outlet for my imagination.

Science Fiction is described as “What could be” and Fantasy is described as “What could never be.”  I find it fascinating to explore both.

In fact, that is probably why I enjoy the Dark Tower series by Stephen King so much.  It starts with a Fantasy setting, and as the books progress, you realize it is more Science Fiction.

Gorgeous Dark Tower collage - characters and images property of Stephen King

As far as Nerd Badges go, my only real badges consist of the Woot.com t-shirt that I wrote a post about, and a Guild Wars sweatshirt that spends most of it time in the back of my closet – both because I do not play Guild Wars anymore and because it was a present from my ex.

I also have my cutie Windrider Cub plushy, who is always on my desk.

My Windrider Cub, who happens to be wearing my Daisy necklace 🙂

I have thought often about a WoW shirt or a poster of some sort, but I have not gone out and purchased one.  Not that I need one to “prove” anything.  Everyone I know is aware I play WoW, including my co-workers.

I am a nerd even without physical badges.  🙂

~ Effy

• Posted in: Blog Azeroth ♦ Personal Thoughts ♦ WoW Stuff
• Tagged: Blog Azeroth Shared Topic