Too many Geeks and Nerds

At a car park on Friday I noticed cars from SIX other support companies. That on it's own should show how crowded the IT support market currently is.

But I'm not cranky about the number of tech businesses fighting in the marketplace: It's about their names.

There's too many Geeks and Nerds: Geeks R Us, Geeks To The Rescue, Geeks On Call, Geeks Central, Geek Chick, Nerds Downunder, Corporate Nerds, Neighbourhood Nerds. I could go on and on and on with variations on this theme.

What these guys don't get is that the term "Geek" or "Nerd" is not a compliment. Some people get upset when they are called a nerd.

Quite rightly too. The term "nerd" or "geek" implies a sexually inadequate young man who gets off on fixing obscure computer problems. To the average person, this indicates your tech will fix your computer because they enjoy tinkering with computers, not because they want to get paid.

I'd suggest the computer tech industry is the only industry where the participants gleefully use a term that's an insult to them.

It's time to drop the "Nerd" and "Geek" names, they are lame and devalue your skills and services. Be proud of your talents and find a name that reflects what you do and the fact you do it well.