I'm thinking that any subject where one can have a lively argument over minutia that is completely nonsensical and pointless to a "normal" person can qualify for an area of geekdom. However, the subject must be outside of mainstream popular culture. For example, talking about what happened in blockbuster movie is not an act of geekery because that movie is in the mainstream of popular culture. However, discussing the director's choices in a two decade old film is an act of geekery because of both the minutia factor and the fading of said film from mainstream popular culture.

And then there are Furries.

There are some things that every geeks fear to speak of.

For example, talking about what happened in blockbuster movie is not an act of geekery because that movie is in the mainstream of popular culture.

Yeah. Or arguing sports statistics.

So if baseball was far less popular, would baseball fans be baseball geeks?

I've always considered the stathead branch of baseball fans to be geeks. By which standard I'm not a baseball geek myself, even though I'm married to one and read the two main M's stathead blogs regularly, because I just nod and smile and take their word for it when they throw out a bunch of numbers to prove some player's awesomeness or lack thereof. (Not that I don't understand or agree--I mean, I can see myself that Raul Ibanez has lost his effectiveness as an outfielder because I watch the games. But the raw numbers don't tell me anything much.)

I think there are baseball geeks even though it's mainstream. Not that I'm a fan of baseball, but I think in any sport if you have someone who knows all the stastics and gets into detailed discussions of the history of the sport that counts as sports geekry. Or someone who is into obscure statistics.

Gudanov would you exclude movies like PotC from being considered blockbuster, even though the triolgy was mainstream people got fairly geeky over it, but it is a fantasy movie. I'd throw James Bond into the realm of blockbusters that people get geeky over. Anytime there are threats to boycott a movie because of casting changes that's an automatic buy into geekdom.

Thinks back to the year he ran a comparison tabulation of points, penalty minutes, and +/- statistics for 47 hockey players to make a written recommendation to management about rehiring two of them.

I'd say yes.

Oh, that. But that's not craps! You don't shoot craps with three dice! Just two.

Well, yeah, OK. Is there anything with three dice?

Maybe the MTA really wanted to say, "Subways aren't for pooping!", but the sign designer misunderstood them.

The MTA SHOULD say that.

And then there are Furries.

No there aren't.

There are no Furries.

I once tried to explain to a rabid hockey fan that being a Buffistas was just like his hobby but with a different inspiration. I cited instant bonding with strangers, fascination with minutae, and odd clothing among my other examples. He just kept staring at me like I was insane.

Gudanov would you exclude movies like PotC from being considered blockbuster, even though the triolgy was mainstream people got fairly geeky over it, but it is a fantasy movie.

Hmmm.... That is a problem. I mean it was a blockbuster movie and talking about what happened in it wouldn't really be geeky, but if there was an Internet PotC board get together where everyone dressed as pirates (excluding Halloween) that would be hard to not classify as geeky. Good point that.

"This is such a first world fetish!"

Hmm. Does the third world even have time for fetishes? I smell a project for my sister.