The code (canonical string)
GE d- s:++ a+++ C++++ UL+++ P+ L+++ E+++ W+++ N+++ o+ K+ w— V PS+ PE f— c+++ Y+ PGP++ t+++ 5- X- R+++ tv++ b++ D-— xkcd G e++++ h– r+++
Translation (with footnotes that forgot to be footnotes)
| Code | Plain English | Annotation |
|---|---|---|
| GE | Geek of Engineering | The title you get when you can solder, sysadmin, and explain both to a dog. |
| d-* | Usually in jeans and a T-shirt | Formalwear includes “clean hoodie.” |
| s:++ | Average height; linebacker build | Couches fear me; spreadsheets respect me. |
| a+++ | Age 60+ | Wisdom 3.0 with long-term support. |
| C++++ | First in line for skull-mounted cybernetics | Firmware updates at your own risk. |
| UL50 | 50 years of UNIX (as of 2024-06-14) | When in doubt, pipe it to grep. |
| P+++ | Earned a living with Perl | There’s more than one way to do it; I know at least five. |
| L(U)+++ | Ubuntu Linux exclusively; mostly CLI | My mouse gets weekends off. |
| E+++ | Emacs as lifestyle choice | M-x doctor says I’m fine. My toaster disagrees. |
| W1.0+++ | Original Netizen (since 1994) | Logged in before the web had a “like” button. |
| N+++ | Reads many newsgroups | The feed refreshes before I finish. Coffee helps. |
| K+ | Likes Kibo | If you know, you smile. If you don’t, you fell asleep after RFC 1855. |
| w— | Windows is… not my thing | Bloatware with commitment issues. |
| V | Used VMS | Respect. Also, relief. |
| PS+ | Politics: don’t legislate morality | The separation of church and “why is this in my firewall?” |
| PE | Distrust government and business | Trust, but verify the checksum. |
| f— | Skeptical of “one true way” in religion | Pluralism with polite logging. |
| c+++ | Cyberpunk at heart | Neon, noir, and a terminal window. |
| Y+ | Privacy-concerned (quietly) | Paranoid enough to be interesting, not enough to be uninvited. |
| PGP++ | Uses the latest PGP regularly | Sign here; the notary is a keyserver. |
| t+++ | Star Trek inspires | Owns the tech manual; hates LCARS noise; wears an IDIC anyway. |
| 5- | Babylon 5 is sub-par | I’ll see myself out. |
| X- | X-Files? Hard pass on conspiracies | The truth is out there; I’m in here reading man pages. |
| R+++ | Runs dungeons for money | Brought 100 tiny bags of dice and a receipt printer. |
| tv-- | Not much TV | Except when the cat demands background noise. |
| b++ | At least one new book a month | Libraries are my cardio. |
| D— | Dilbert doesn’t speak to me | I try not to live the comic strip. |
| xkcd | Checks xkcd sometimes | Some days it’s prophecy. |
| G | Knows and wrote a geek code | Self-diagnosis: accurate. |
| e++++ | Well-educated (largely self-taught) with multiple degrees | Office hours by appointment with my bookshelf. |
| h– | Lives in the swampy woods, owns the land and house | Self-sufficiency with better Wi-Fi than the city. |
| r+++ | Married for decades | Found my angel; kept the patch notes. |
Geek Code was a 1990s Internet pastime: one line of symbols that bragged, confessed, and occasionally started flame wars. This version keeps the charm and skips the ash.