September 25, 1998 - Pulse on the Net
Etiquette For Gaming Geeks
Etiquette For Gaming Geeks
|
September 25, 1998 - Pulse on the Net
Etiquette For Gaming Geeks |
In the early days of Fire & Movement magazine, a highly controversial article appeared entitled, "Wargamer as Nigger." It took a look at the dark side of our hobby - or more precisely, the behavior set of its followers - and a firestorm of debate and introspection followed. Fast forward some twenty years later, and the following article appeared on the rec.games.board newsgroup.
The author is Keith Ammann, and this revised article was original entitled, "Geenius At Wrok's Elementary Etiquette For Gaming Geeks." Mr. Ammann is a professional writer by profession, and has been a serious role-playing, strategy and classic board gamer for 14 years.
If you care to respond to this article, ConsimWorld.COM has set up a forum topic area at our Discussion Board so you can post your reaction. The views expressed by Mr. Ammann do not represent the views of ConsimWorld.COM and its Partners.
PREFACE
I am a gaming geek. I wish the world would show greater understanding, compassion and respect toward gaming geeks. However, it's an indisputable fact that the behavior of many gamers contributes toward this atmosphere of misunderstanding. Sometimes this behavior is deliberately antagonistic; more often, however, it's completely unwitting. The information in this article is not intended to insult or disparage those it criticizes. Instead, it is a sincere and well-intentioned effort to help those gaming geeks who are genuinely interested in improving relations between themselves and those around them, and I hope it will be taken as such. Readers are, of course, free to disregard or disagree with any of the advice in this article.
CHAPTER 1: GROOMING
Don't we all value substance over appearance? Well, no. Many people have problems getting past appearance to reach the substance. Many others consider appearance to be at least partially indicative of substance, if not an inseparable constituent part of that substance, and they're not wrong to do so. In plain English, this means that if you look or smell bad, you've already got a strike against you.
It has always amazed me how so many gamers, who supposedly value independence in thinking and style, independently settle on the exact same look. See if this rings a bell: full, untrimmed beard; unwashed, unstyled hair; old T-shirt pulled over sagging stomach; weak posture; plastic-rimmed glasses; medieval-style leather boots or some other semi-anachronistic accessory. Not all gamers look and dress this way, but a startling number do, as anyone can see just by attending a decent-size gaming convention.
If you really LIKE this look, by all means stick with it -- but don't get upset when people react negatively. In the immortal words of Super Chicken, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it."
The point here is not to slam people who dress funny but to note that small, simple choices can improve one's appearance by at least an order of magnitude. I'll tackle the items in the stereotype one at a time:
* Facial hair. Unless you're a lumberjack, at least trim your beard so that it's even, not scraggly. If you choose to wear a full beard, consider cutting it shorter, say to an inch or less. (You can buy electric beard trimmers that will shape your beard to a uniform length. Handy things. I use one to keep my goatee at a quarter-inch.) The same goes for mustaches -- pretty much any length is OK, as long as it's even. Experiment; see what flatters your face. You may find yourself happiest with a big beard, a smaller beard, a mustache only, a beard only or nothing at all.
* Head hair. Just about any length can be made to look good -- IF you know how to style it and bother to do so. If you'd rather go low-maintenance, then pick a length at which you can get away with it. Curly and wavy hair almost HAS to be either styled regularly or kept short. Regardless of what style you choose, for God's sake keep it clean. Wash it at least every other day -- daily, if it's oily.
* Clothing. What you wear isn't half as important as how it fits. The simple act of tucking in your shirt is enough to get an instant "desirability upgrade" from most people. If you have a hard-to-fit physique -- and I totally understand that some people have weight problems that defy diet and exercise -- consider buying some tailored clothing. (There are lots of rich, powerful and respected people in the world who are overweight, and you can bet they didn't get rich, powerful and respected by trying to stretch J.C. Penney Oxfords over their midriffs.) As for what specific items of clothing you wear, just make sure that they're clean, intact and not outdated (unless you're being retro, which for some reason works when you're aware of it but doesn't when you aren't), and only wear T-shirts with jokes if the jokes are genuinely funny.
* Glasses. Try some metal frames. See "rich, powerful and respected" above. (Alternately, see "being retro.")
* Posture. Standing straight and walking gracefully will get you another "desirability upgrade." All it takes is a mirror and some practice. Exercise helps too, especially exercises that strengthen the lower back and abdomen.
In short, while we cannot change the fact that we are gaming geeks, we can still be good-looking gaming geeks. It's not an oxymoron. And if we want people to treat us as fully human, we owe it to ourselves to be the best-looking gaming geeks we can be.
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Copyright © 1999-2002. ConsimWorld.COM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited. Web Masters are encouraged to link directly to this page, this URL is not subject to change. For general site information: kranz@consimworld.com
Headline News | Archives | New Products
Game Ratings | Clubs | Events | Discussion Board
Copyright © 1999, 2000 ConsimWorld.COM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited. Web Masters are encouraged to link directly to this page, this URL is not subject to change. For general site information: kranz@consimworld.com
