[wccrawford]

I'm also a nerd (and proudly so, to this day) and I was bullied for it in school.

But I don't see the parent calling people nerds in a negative light. It can be read that they think programming is no longer being thought of as something you can only do with kids who are especially interested in that kind of thing, but instead can be taught to all kids. "Nerd" was just their shorthand for kids who are interested in logic and knowledge more than other kids.

[code_sardaukar]

I guess the comment triggers me in the same way as reading "you don't have to be effeminate or gay to be a male ballet dancer" might trigger some people.

While it doesn't directly paint gay or effeminate men in a negative light, it also doesn't do enough to distance itself from the negative stigma men who don't follow traditional male roles face.

[wccrawford]

I can totally see that.

I think that non-nerdy people can't understand what it's really like to be nerdy. They attribute things to nerds (like acne or hubris) that aren't actually part of what a nerd really is. They just see a partial pattern and then paint the whole group with it.

Attempting to educate them about this doesn't really help, IMO. It's just extra stress, and so I try to just ignore their ignorance and go on my way.

Plus, I've noticed that kids these days put intelligence on a pedestal, and that's been awesome to see. The idea of a whole generation growing up and respecting people who can think well... I love it.