©MAG¢A³C²B íNERDS ³A²A Have you ever thought about how different people we computer users are in many cases? Have you? Have you ever noticed that you often can recognise a real computer freak even by just looking at him? I have! Many times you see a guy with a bit 'old-fashioned' clothes, awful glasses, weird style of walking, ugly hairstyle, uncertain appearance etc. Well, of course you now think I'm some kind of a yuppie or something. Well, I won't say I ain't, but I think you must agree that you know even a guy or two with the features above. Of course there is, thank god, much exceptions. But I'd say about 30-40% of the computer freax are something like what I described. Just look around yourself, go to a party somewhere and look at the people all around you! I think you know even one 'genius' with the 'nerd-features'. He may be an active member of a Amiga-group, a coder, graphician, musician or swapper. Maybe he is coding 24 hours a day, staring at his monitor, typing all those lines, day after day. Or maybe he is drawing pictures with his DPaint, day after day, pixel by pixel, hour by hour. Or maybe he is an ELITE swapper with 100-200 contacts and is swapping and swapping all the time, writing letters and licking stamps and copying stuff. There are many examples. That causes that our ELITE swapper/coder/graphician/musician slowly starts to care less and less about his hobbies, meeting friends,taking care of his appearance, everything that belongs to a 'normal' life. When his friends go out to have fun, our ELITE guy just continues coding or swapping... He doesn't play tennis or football because he wouldn't have enough time to code or swap. His sight starts to weaken, he gets new, bigger glasses. He may have problems in school or at job because of all the nights spent in the front of his monitor. Finally, he does nearly nothing but spends his days home with his dear computer! This also happens to some guys by playing games all the time. How do you think, does this sound familiar? This is what I call as a 'Nerd'. Well, of course there are exceptions, many of them. But I must say I'm talking with experience. I've seen many guys 'in the hook'. It's almost like a drug. You must have more and more. Some freaks don't seem to realize that there is much more to do in a life than computing. School/Job, Girls, Friends, Sports... You! Think for a while, did this sound very familiar? Think for a while, are you spending all your time with your computer? Think, would there be something to live for that I've had missed? Or are you living for using your Amiga? Sad but true. If you really want to be an ELITE coder/graphician/swapper/ whatever you probably have to dedicate nothing more than your life for the scene... And still it may be not enough. If you don't believe, ask some elite swapper with about 150-200 contacts how much of his time he spends with his computer. I think quite MUCH, or if he doesn't, he must be very lazy swapper for most of his contacts... Well, I'm a bit tired of writing now, so the end is near. I would be happy if some of you who read this would tell your opinions about my article. And if there are any guys who just want to swap, contact me in the address found on advertisements-part. See ya! í í Signed í Reaper / Digital Artists Inc. í Þ­