GeekSugar

Girls Guide to Dating a Geek: You Need a Manual for That?

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:03:54 -0700

Oh come on, geeks aren't that hard to figure out; men, maybe. Girls? Definitely. But you don't need a manual to figure out a geek, do you? If you do, here's A Girl's Guide to Dating a Geek ($14), which offers, with its tongue in cheek, how one should go about dating a geek.

I've already told you where to find fellow geeks, and now if you need help in the actual dating of the geek, here it is, I guess.

P.S. Where's the guy's guide for dating a girl geek? They're the ones who need the manuals, in my humble opinion.

Tech Dating 101: He CC'd Me on an Email to His Mom

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:33:45 -0800

A friend of mine needs some advice: last week, her brand-new boyfriend (we're taking days here, not even weeks) wrote an email list of gifts he wanted for Christmas, sent it to his mom, and CC'd my friend. To be fair, my friend did ask him to send her his Christmas wish list, but she never expected him to send the same list to his mother at the same time.

She's a little freaked out because she thinks this is a sign of him moving too quickly. On the flip side, he is very close to his mother, and maybe he just thought he'd kill two birds with one stone by sending one email instead of two. Then again, now his mom has my friend's email address. . .even though the two are weeks away from actually meeting face-to-face. So of course my friend asks me, "What do I do? Do I reply to both of them? Do I write him back at all?"

I must admit, giving her advice on this problem kind of stumped me. I'm torn between a couple of responses; to see what they are (and help me out!), read more

Potential advice A: Reply all with a short and sweet "Thanks for the heads up!" and let it go. This requires giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, which I'm not quite sure is the right move here, but I think it could be the way to go. See if his mom responds. Chances are, she knows her son well enough to know his intentions. Maybe he's even done it before. The only caveat: if she responds to you, you're stuck. You can't ignore an email from mom, which means being prepared for any kind of wacky proposal, from her asking what gift you're planning on buying him to suggesting going halfsies on something together.

Potential advice B: Don't respond to the email. Address it with him in person as soon as possible. Tell him it made you uncomfortable, and tell him why it made you uncomfortable. You'll have to tread delicately since I'm guessing he doesn't realize what a big deal this is to you. Explain that even though it might have been a to-the-point email, it makes you uncomfortable to be included on the same thread as his mother.

Potential advice C: Run. Fast. In the other direction.

Just kidding on the last one - but help a girl out! What's the best solution to the problem?

Do you have a Love 2.0 question you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Tech Dating 101: I Like Him, I Hate His Video-Game Obsession

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:13:52 -0700

In our Tech Dating 101 series, we've already tackled issues surrounding the nude photos you found on his laptop, his female-dominated address book, and his annoying CrackBerry addiction. But what's a girl to do when he just can't get enough of his video games? OK, I know I'm probably not the best person to answer this, but I can give you a few pointers on how to deal.

There are a few variables to take into consideration here. Find out what they are when you read more.

Variables like how long you've been together, if he still makes you feel loved and appreciated, or if he just wants you to join him in a quick round of Mario Kart on a Saturday night. But if he's blowing you off to stay at home and play World of Warcraft 24/7, or is actually losing sleep or missing work because of his gaming habits, then he may be a video-game addict who needs some professional help. Overall, if he's just a casual gamer, you may just have to give in and befriend the Xbox controller after all.

Do you have a Love 2.0 questioned you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful, and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Tech Dating 101: He Acts Differently Online Than in Real Life

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:05:30 -0700

I'll admit it: technology has made the early stages of dating a lot easier. For instance, you no longer have to work up the nerve to call a guy you're into - just fire off a witty text message or IM and avoid awkward pauses on the phone altogether! It's a lot easier to type out something you might have trouble expressing in a face-to-face situation. (Exhibit A: Texts From Last Night. Do you think half of the things said via late-night text would ever see the light of day in a face-to-face or phone call situation?)

Another admission: it's a whole lot easier for me to talk to a guy online than it is in person. And if it's easier for me, I assume it's easier for a guy, too. But that creates a whole other set of issues. What happens if you connect great with someone while chatting online or via text, but there's still a ton of in-person shyness and awkwardness. It's happened to me more than once, but I was able to overcome it. To find out how, read more.

After meeting a guy and exchanging information, we started chatting online and immediately hit it off. We didn't see each other face-to-face for a week or two, and when we did we both suddenly reverted to our shy selves, never mind the amazing, insightful conversations we'd had. Thankfully, we both realized the problem and were able to overcome it. Here's how:

Stop online chatting. OK, that may be a little extreme, but at least slow it down. One of my favorite Someecards reads, "Let's temporarily avoid each other's blogs, tweets and Facebook updates so we have something to talk about on our date." This is so true! Not only is it easy to virtually stalk him, it takes all of the fun out of getting to know each other.
Talk about your online conversations. A simple, "That story about your dog that you told me online today was hilarious," worked wonders. It reminded him that I was the same girl that he happily typed to all day - and that I was paying attention.
Don't overshare just because you're online. It's much easier to divulge more personal information when there's a computer screen in front of you instead of a real person. When you're just getting to know someone, If you wouldn't say it to their face, don't type it out, either.

It's tough, but a little online distance will only make the face time you spend with your new guy even more exciting.

10 Simple Tips For Getting Organized

GeekSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:03:52 -0800

While most of us jot down our New Year's resolutions in low tech notebooks and organizers there are billions of helpful websites and handy tech tips that can help us reach our goals.

If you spend your whole day in front of a computer or carry a PDA in your pocket or purse (meaning you have constant web and calendar access) you really don't have an excuse to be disorganized.

Put everything in its place! – This one is a no brainer, but you'll be destined for organization if you create a proper home for your PDAs, iPods, cell phone and chargers. If you don't want to spend any money you can turn a pretty bowl or basket into a simple gadget haven, or if you want to get a little fancier, check out the Smart Tech furniture and charging stations from Pottery Barn. You'll never run around the house looking for your charger again. Okay, maybe you will, but you'll have a better idea of where it might be.
Use your camera phone – I love using my camera phone to make lists, take pictures of items when I am shopping and even to help me remember where I parked in a lot. Think of your picture phone as a notepad without having to carry a notepad. Most modern phones have notes sections, or even text message functions where you can write yourself a quick note and save the message for later reference.
Manage your finances online – We all know we can pay bills online, but did you know you can automatically track and organize your online and offline purchases?
Make the best of your digital pictures! - One of the best things about creating a blog or joining a photo sharing service or other online archive is the fact that it allows you easy access to your photos and memories without taking up all your computer memory. Plus, you can share your experiences with friends and family, or keep items private. Check out my guide to making the most of your photography.
Use your online calendar and PDA – Spend some time selecting an online calendar that can easily sync with your gadgetry and life. Online calendaring makes your schedule easily accessible and will help you keep track of birthdays, special dates and appointments.

To check out the rest of my list of tips (and goals!) for keeping your schedule and life on track this year read more.

Clean out your address book – I tend to hang on to email addresses because people seem to keep them for a long time but I highly suggest cleaning out your cell phone's address book. I programmed my high school boyfriend's number into my first cell phone and have automatically transferred it into more than a decade of phones without realizing it. It's time to let go.
Use an RSS Reader already – An RSS Reader (Really Simple Syndication) is a web feed aggregator, also known as a feed reader, that aggregates syndicated web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, and vlogs in a single location for easy viewing. Examples of popular RSS Readers include Google Reader, Netvibes, Bloglines and My Yahoo's RSS feature. If you read more than five websites a day and don't have a reader you are in for a treat.
Program your TiVo online - You don't have to panic if you forget to set a season pass for Gossip Girl. If you have a Series2 TiVo box, you can easily schedule recordings anywhere you have access to the web. You just have to set up an online account. By the way, did you know if you have a TiVo Series2 DVR connected to your home network you can take your TiVo recordings "to go" by putting them on your laptop, video iPod, Playstation Portable, Palm Treo, Creative Zen Vision:M, Nokia N80 and Toshiba gigabeat?
Clean up your computer and e-mail – You know you don't need the 6,999 e-mails in your inbox or the 17 photos of Britney getting out of her car. Seriously, you don't. Get rid of them.
Make use of my tips! – As you know, I share geek tips every day. Some of them are simple, some are downright geeky, but 90 percent of them will help you be more organized and make better use of your technology. The rest? Well, they're just fun.

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