Name:

Guy Cross

Column:

The Cheapskate Geek

Age:

31

Nationality:

British (Welsh)

Marital Status:

Married

Country of Residence:

Scotland (for the moment)

Okay, beyond the basic facts above I struggle to write profiles, so I figure I need a questionnaire to help me out.  Presuming nobody really cares what my favourite colour is, I googled “getting to know you questionnaire +geek” and found this little gem.

Now, this was from a blog about knitting, I know nothing about knitting (see you are learning about me all the time!) so I have changed the word knitting for the term ‘computer use’.

I am not going to edit the findings if they don’t work out, stay with me – we are bonding through this.

1. What’s your worst habit relating to your knitting computer use?
I tend to go crazy for a new idea, then forget it a month later, sometimes I go back to it (for example twitter) most of the time I forget it (remember brightkite?)

2. In what specific ways does your knitting computer use make you a better person?
Well I use a PC to earn a living, so that is some kind of contribution to society.  Otherwise using a PC just keeps me off the streets.

3. How might you or your life be different if you were suddenly unable to knit use a computer?
I would probably have more “real” friends, but I would probably also watch an awful lot of bad TV.

4. If money were no object, what one yarn, and what one tool or gadget would you run out and buy first?
I would probably buy an iPhone.  I would probably hate it after a while.

5. What knitting computer use technique or project type are you most afraid of (if any)? What, specifically, do you fear will happen when you try it?
(Is this for real?)
I would like to put a new version of Linux on my netbook, but I think I will screw it up and end up have to get the recovery DVD out one more time.

6. Who is/are your knitting computer use hero(es), and why?
I cannot say I have any specific heroes, but I am jealous of anyone who can program or write/code really clever websites.

7. Do you consider knitting computer use, for you personally, a mostly social activity, or a mostly solitary activity?
Right now it’s basically something I do on my own, but I would like to change that by starting a real life blogging group one day!

8. Is there a particular regional tradition in knitting computer use that you feel strongly drawn toward (e.g., Fair Isle, Scandinavian, Celtic, Orenburg lace)? Any theories as to why it calls to you?
That’s a tough question.  I would like to live in New York City; I see a lot of tweets from people who have regular meet ups in that area.  I am not sure I 100% understand what you mean though.

9. If you were a yarn cable, which yarn cable would you be?
Something ageing but useful, dependable, maybe a firewire lead?

10. Some statistics:
(a) How many years have passed since you FIRST learned to knit use a computer?
I started using computers in 1993, so 16.

(b) How many total years have you been actively, regularly knitting using a computer (i.e., they don’t have to have been in a row)?
16.

(c) how many people have you taught to knit use a computer?
No idea, but an awful lot – more than 20?

(d) Roughly what percentage of your FOs do you give away (to anyone besides yourself, i.e., including your immediate family)
I am going to have to be honest, I do not really know what an FO is, I guess it’s a Finished Object – but I do not want to commit myself.  I have given away a laptop and a desktop PC though.

11. How often do you KIP (knit in public)  CIP (compute in public)? i.e., once a week, once a month, etc. Where do you do it?
Most days, I use my netbook on trains and in cafes all the time.

12. If a genie granted you one hour to stitch-n-bitch type-n-gripe with any one knitter computer user, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
I would have to say Stephen Fry.

13. What aspect or task in knitting computer use makes you most impatient?
Windows Vista.

14. What is it about knitting computer use that never lets you get bored with it?
New technology and shiny toys.  I cannot see myself getting bored of building communities online in the near future either.

15. Describe how and where you most often do your knitting computer using – where do you sit, what is going on around you, what tools do you use and how are they (dis)organized?
I am either curled up with my netbook. Or on the move with my PDA/Smartphone.

16. Which one person is the recipient of more of your knitting computer use than any other?
I am not sure your question makes sense!  But I use social networks to connect with a whole host of different people, some of which I know in real life and some that I do not.

17. What’s the oddest thing about your knitting computer use or yourself as a knitter computer user?
I rarely use the internet from a fully fledged PC since buying my Acer Aspire One.  Most people think I know an awful lot more about computers than I really do, what I know a lot about is websites and how people connect to/with them.

18. What do you see yourself knitting computer use-ing(?) – If anything – twenty years from now?
I would hope to be using a handheld device for all of my online activity.

19. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only ONE SKEIN of yarn, which yarn would it be and what would you do with it? (??? help)
You’re going to have to be more specific and I do not know what a SKEIN is, do you mean with one computer?  Well if I had to own one PC for the rest of my life, I guess it would have to have a decent battery life – 6-8 hours isn’t going to cut it in a survival situation!  I would probably start a blogspot.com blog documenting my deserted island experience and maybe a twitter account, cake the blog in Google ads and watch the money roll in!!!

20. If you were allowed to own only one knitting computer use-related book, which would it be? (You’d be free to browse others, but you couldn’t keep them)
A computer book?  A book, written about computers?  I haven’t really owned one of them in my entire life.  Maybe the screenplay to hackers or war games?
21. Is knitting computer use the new yoga? Why or why not?
I don’t think you are taking this seriously any more.  I do not think using a PC calms many people down.  Is that what yoga is about?  You can probably download a widget that has something to do with yoga though.

22. What important thing are you trying to put off doing whenever you knit use your computer?”
Usually practical jobs, cleaning the flat/apartment, I have a mound of personal paperwork to do, filing etc.  Facebook stalking takes preference over an awful lot of things, to be honest reading the public timeline on twitter also ranks above cleaning to lavatory!

Related posts:

1. Griff’s Nerdles Blog – Saturday February 7th, 2009
2. Nat’s Nerdles Blog – Sunday February 8th 2009
3. Video Games Kick Ass In 2008!
4. Resident Evil Demo Hits 1.8 Million!
5. Left 4 Dead Still Not Coming To PS3!