Test: 50 Skills Every Geek Should Have

[WRXWagon2112]

By this standard I am nowhere near being considered a geek. I can do a handful of these and can probably wing it for a few more, but that still leaves me with 35-40 more that are out of my league. On second thought, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

• 1. Install a hard drive in a laptop
  2. Perform a clean OS install on a machine with two OSes
  3. Swap out the battery on your iPod/iPhone
  4. Jailbreak an iPhone
  5. Wire your house for Ethernet and Coax cable
  6. Use BitTorrent and RSS to automatically download new shows from trackers
  7. Use an A/V receiver to its fullest capability (every port is taken)
  8. Calibrate an HDTV without the manual
  9. Use a DSLR in full manual mode
  10. Hack the encryption and mooch your neighbor's Wi-Fi
  11. Solder cleanly enough to get around a circuit board
  12. Use your 3G phone as a Wi-Fi access point
  13. Shove the guts of a modern game console into a retro game console
  14. Design a webpage in HTML by hand that features a picture of your cat
  15. Use Photoshop to imperceptibly doctor a photo
  16. Abstain from buying extended warranties
  17. Know where to buy cheap cables and accessories
  18. Fix your parents' computer over the phone without looking at a computer
  19. Enter the Konami code
  20. Comment on Gizmodo from your phone
  21. Type quickly using T9 texting
  22. Program a universal remote
  23. Contribute code to the Linux kernel
  24. Hide porn from your significant other
  25. Avoid DRM on everything
  26. Know how to back up your data to networked storage—and actually do it
  27. Watch TV shows on the internet for free
  28. Edit together digital video ripped from YouTube
  29. Play any SNES game on your computer through an emulator
  30. Reset expired trial software by messing with the registry
  31. Hackintosh your PC
  32. Download pre-release movies from Usenet
  33. Hack the Wii to play homebrew games
  34. Get around web content filters on public computers
  35. Get into a Windows computer if you forgot your password
  36. Securely erase your data so it can't be recovered
  37. Share a printer between a Mac and a PC on a network
  38. Build a fighting robot
  39. Write your own Firefox plugins
  40. Navigate and reorganize the files on your computer in DOS
  41. Get something on the front page of Digg
  42. Get through to executive customer service
  43. Rip a CD to V0 quality MP3s
  44. Rip a DVD to DivX
  45. Build your own computer from parts
  46. Swap out the hard drive in your DVR for a bigger one
  47. Get an NES cartridge working again by blowing in it
  48. Calibrate a 7.1 surround-sound system
  49. Play downloaded games on a Nintendo DS
  50. Talk about things that aren't tech related

--Alan

[Mr Kleen]

a list designed to make 1337 geeks feel superior to us normal geeks.

[complacent]

Save for the programming items, most don't seem like that far a stretch. I think it's a good list, albeit more than a little apple biased.

But what about today's blogging media isn't apple biased?

Some of them are really good ideas.

[avriette]

missing 16, 33, 38, 41, but i don't think those are really fair. requiring a geek to have a wii and a ds is silly. and the only reason i haven't built a fighting robot is because i'd get in deep shit. i wouldn't start with the smash-n-bash stuff, i'd start with firearms. and wtf is 16? i can do all the maintenance on my car, bikes, computers, etc., but it is cheaper to have Apple replace my laptop, Subaru replace my headlamps, and so on. i don't use digg.

[Libra Monkee]

Let's see if I can't run down the list here

• 1. Install a hard drive in a laptop CHECK
  2. Perform a clean OS install on a machine with two OSes CHECK
  3. Swap out the battery on your iPod/iPhone CHECK
  4. Jailbreak an iPhone CHECK
  5. Wire your house for Ethernet and Coax cable CHECK
  6. Use BitTorrent and RSS to automatically download new shows from trackers CHECK
  7. Use an A/V receiver to its fullest capability (every port is taken) CHECK
  8. Calibrate an HDTV without the manual CHECK
  9. Use a DSLR in full manual mode NOPE
  10. Hack the encryption and mooch your neighbor's Wi-Fi CHECK
  11. Solder cleanly enough to get around a circuit board NOPE
  12. Use your 3G phone as a Wi-Fi access point NOPE
  13. Shove the guts of a modern game console into a retro game console NOPE
  14. Design a webpage in HTML by hand that features a picture of your cat CHECK
  15. Use Photoshop to imperceptibly doctor a photo CHECK
  16. Abstain from buying extended warranties CHECK
  17. Know where to buy cheap cables and accessories CHECK
  18. Fix your parents' computer over the phone without looking at a computer CHECK
  19. Enter the Konami code CHECK
  20. Comment on Gizmodo from your phone NOPE
  21. Type quickly using T9 texting CHECK
  22. Program a universal remote CHECK
  23. Contribute code to the Linux kernel NOPE
  24. Hide porn from your significant other CHECK
  25. Avoid DRM on everything CHECK
  26. Know how to back up your data to networked storage—and actually do it NOPE but soon
  27. Watch TV shows on the internet for free CHECK
  28. Edit together digital video ripped from YouTube NOPE
  29. Play any SNES game on your computer through an emulator CHECK
  30. Reset expired trial software by messing with the registry CHECK
  31. Hackintosh your PC NOPE but soon
  32. Download pre-release movies from Usenet CHECK
  33. Hack the Wii to play homebrew games NOPE but soon
  34. Get around web content filters on public computers CHECK
  35. Get into a Windows computer if you forgot your password CHECK
  36. Securely erase your data so it can't be recovered CHECK
  37. Share a printer between a Mac and a PC on a network CHECK
  38. Build a fighting robot NOPE
  39. Write your own Firefox plugins NOPE
  40. Navigate and reorganize the files on your computer in DOS CHECK
  41. Get something on the front page of Digg CHECK
  42. Get through to executive customer service CHECK
  43. Rip a CD to V0 quality MP3s CHECK
  44. Rip a DVD to DivX CHECK
  45. Build your own computer from parts CHECK
  46. Swap out the hard drive in your DVR for a bigger one NOPE
  47. Get an NES cartridge working again by blowing in it CHECK
  48. Calibrate a 7.1 surround-sound system NOPE
  49. Play downloaded games on a Nintendo DS NOPE
  50. Talk about things that aren't tech related CHECK

So 70% with another 6% currently in the works. This is either very cool or very sad. Considering who reads this thread, I'm gonna say it's cool.

I have to agree with Sir Avriette on the fighting robot thing. If I did that I'd either be hired or hunted by the US Government and NATO.

[sirwilliam]

• 1. Install a hard drive in a laptop HAI!
  2. Perform a clean OS install on a machine with two OSes HAI!
  3. Swap out the battery on your iPod/iPhone IE!
  4. Jailbreak an iPhone Nicht haben iPhone!
  5. Wire your house for Ethernet and Coax cable HAI!
  6. Use BitTorrent and RSS to automatically download new shows from trackers HAI!
  7. Use an A/V receiver to its fullest capability (every port is taken) HAI!
  8. Calibrate an HDTV without the manual HAI!
  9. Use a DSLR in full manual mode Nicht haben DSLR!
  10. Hack the encryption and mooch your neighbor's Wi-Fi HAI!
  11. Solder cleanly enough to get around a circuit board IE!
  12. Use your 3G phone as a Wi-Fi access point IE!
  13. Shove the guts of a modern game console into a retro game console IE!
  14. Design a webpage in HTML by hand that features a picture of your cat DOES MY OLD DOG COUNT?
  15. Use Photoshop to imperceptibly doctor a photo HAI!
  16. Abstain from buying extended warranties HAI!
  17. Know where to buy cheap cables and accessories HAI!
  18. Fix your parents' computer over the phone without looking at a computer HAI!
  19. Enter the Konami code HAI!
  20. Comment on Gizmodo from your phone IE!
  21. Type quickly using T9 texting HAI!
  22. Program a universal remote HAI!
  23. Contribute code to the Linux kernel IE!
  24. Hide porn from your significant other I PLEAD THE FIFTH
  25. Avoid DRM on everything IS THIS A TOTAL ABSOLUTE OR A TRY?
  26. Know how to back up your data to networked storage—and actually do it HAHA
  27. Watch TV shows on the internet for free HAI!
  28. Edit together digital video ripped from YouTube IE!
  29. Play any SNES game on your computer through an emulator HAI!
  30. Reset expired trial software by messing with the registry HAI!
  31. Hackintosh your PC IE!
  32. Download pre-release movies from Usenet IE!
  33. Hack the Wii to play homebrew games IE!
  34. Get around web content filters on public computers HAI!
  35. Get into a Windows computer if you forgot your password HAI!
  36. Securely erase your data so it can't be recovered HAI!
  37. Share a printer between a Mac and a PC on a network HAI!
  38. Build a fighting robot IE!
  39. Write your own Firefox plugins IE!
  40. Navigate and reorganize the files on your computer in DOS HAI!
  41. Get something on the front page of Digg IE!
  42. Get through to executive customer service IE!
  43. Rip a CD to V0 quality MP3s IE!
  44. Rip a DVD to DivX HAI!
  45. Build your own computer from parts HAI!
  46. Swap out the hard drive in your DVR for a bigger one IE!
  47. Get an NES cartridge working again by blowing in it HAI!
  48. Calibrate a 7.1 surround-sound system HAI!
  49. Play downloaded games on a Nintendo DS IE!
  50. Talk about things that aren't tech related HAI!