The Geek Code was developed in 1993 as a system of letters and symbols used by self-proclaimed "geeks" to provide information about their personality, appearance, interests, skills, and opinions to other geeks.
This code aims to offer a brief yet comprehensive depiction of one's self within the realm of geek culture. It covers key dimensions using a limited number of categories, which are further specified with qualifiers or quantifiers. The goal is to encode everything that defines a geek's individuality into a compact format that only other geeks can comprehend, which is thought to be an efficient approach within geek culture.
By sharing your geek code with friends and acquaintances, you can help them understand that today's geeks are the trendsetters of tomorrow.
Robert A. Hayden, a student and later a graduate of Mankato State University, created and wrote Version 0.1 of the Geek Code, which only had about five categories. Version 0.2 focused on correcting spelling and bugs, while Version 0.3 added a few more categories.
The web links provided in this text are some of the earliest examples of the Geek Code still surviving on the internet. In the case that these websites disappear or stop loading, a backup of the old code has been created for posterity in this GitHub repository.
Click here to see Version 0.3 on the web!
Version 1.0 was released four months after 0.3, on July 17, 1993, and added several more categories, along with rules for cross-overs and variables.
Version 2.0 was released a year after Version 1.0, and at least 75 additions were included in that version, representing the recommendations of dozens of people. This milestone also signifies the moment when the geek code had expanded to such an extent that it ultimately needed to undergo revision in order to maintain internal coherence.
Click here to see version 2.1 on the web!
Version 3.x, which was released on March 5, 1996, was a significant refinement over Version 2.x, aimed at eliminating many of the non-geeky categories to make room for more geeky traits. Some of the odd categories that were removed in 3.x included automobiles, nutrition, and even Barney.
The geekcode Linux package, which is presently accessible on Debian and Ubuntu, operates on Version 3.12. However, it is imperative to note that this Linux package solely comprises the rudimentary form of the Version 3 Geek Code and is bereft of support for crossovers and variables, which were added in version 3.2.
Version 4.x was released on GitHub on October 18, 2019, with some categories removed, added, and altered.
Version 5.x eliminated case-sensitive categories and modified some letters and categories. The latest versions of the Geek Code are aimed at giving geeks a better platform to express their interests.
Version 6.x was released February 15, 2023, and represented a complete revision, improved with better comprehension, flow, revised vocabulary.
Version 7.x was released December 30, 2024 and greatly expanded on version 6.x by adding new, modern fields that geeks spend time in.
Rather than continuing the numbering scheme started back in 1993, which can become confusing figuring out which version you need to use and where to find it, I have decided to instead number Geekcode versions using a hybrid of semantic numbering and calendar numbering. In addition, older versions of Geekcode will be archived in GitHub repository for posterity, and easy access. These versions will be linked in the historical archive above.
The numbering scheme I am going to follow will be YEAR.MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
It's obvious what YEAR means. MAJOR and MINOR will track major or minor version changes throughout the year, resetting on the next YEAR's major release.
The obvious benefits to this method are:
Time context - Including the year tells users when the release was made — helpful in long-lived projects (which geekcode definitely qualifies as long-lived) or when regular updates are important. And people can tell how frequently you're releasing updates just by glancing at the version history.
Chronological sorting - Versions sort nicely in order when the year is the leading number.
Download the current geekcode file and design your geekcode.
As a note: It's much easier to view in a text editor WITHOUT word wrap. Word wrap makes a mess of the charts!