I agree that the term geek MAY be overused, but I also posit that, maybe with the number of people who are engaged in pop culture, games and entertainment rising all the time, there are just so many more geeks.
Basement dwelling hobbyists with 'too much time on their hands' are not only seeing the daylight, but they're becoming the minority as more creative, enthusiastic fans are embracing and showing their love for what entertains and inspires them.
There are also many more ways to share what you create in the throes of fandom, or during periods of creativity. From self publishing (hi, that's me), to Etsy and everything in between. When you get creative with your passions, even if it's your favourite television show, you feel more involved, more connected to it. In my case, I feel more connected to the genre I write in and the people that enjoy it than ever.
In old world terms, someone who spent a year building a Klingon costume for a convention would be considered really geeky, with very few people appreciating their efforts before the convention. They'd get a lot of negative attention. Now, since there are so many more Star Trek fans and geeks in general, they'll find some encouragement, allies, and maybe a couple other Klingons to car pool with on that special Convention weekend.
We WANT more geeks of all kinds. They get our favourite movies made, make them popular, and encourage the studios to make more. They scold television channels for pulling our favourites (for YEARS in some cases), they even engage in social discourse now, making paparazzi look more shallow and un-entertaining than ever.
Who cares if some of the geeks don't meet our expectations, or get all the details right when they start trying to participate. That just means they're newbie geeks, and they need us! We've got to put our favourite episodes of Star Trek The Original Series, Doctor Who, or Spaced, or whatever else we adore in their hands so they can continue their education in the order of Geek and find out what they dig themselves. Geeks aren't born, they're initiated!
Maybe if we get enough geeks together, the next time some network wants to cancel our favourite show, we can shout them down, shame the idea out of their heads, and get six more seasons out of them. We've already done the impossible once, imagine what could happen if our millions become billions...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxJqdGEdsjY
[News on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 8 is coming soon to the blog]
