Geek Catalog Update 11/9/2014

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It’s your weekly update of Citizen Geek Resources!

First of all the full lists now have in-page links since they’ve gotten huge – you can find them sorted by Geeky Interest or Specific Focus.

With Blizzcon ending, I figured this week I’d focus just on video game charities and causes.  Here’s a chance to get your Citizen Gamer on!

Video Games

  • Accessibility
    • Special Effect – Helps people with disabilities play video games with special technology and a variety of fundraisers. Takes donations and runs events.
  • Charitable Work
    • Gamers For Giving – Michigan’s largest game charity event, a game tournament that supports Gamers Outreach Foundation
    • Gamers Outreach – A game industry charity organization that uses game events to raise money to set up game kiosks in hospitals and support the troops.
    • Games Aid – A UK video Games charity that’s an umbrella for many other charities helping the disadvantaged. Raises money via activities, auctions, and more.
    • Gaming For Good – A platform where you get games for donating to charity – with revenue going to Save The Children.
    • Gaming Worldwide – Harnessess the power of gaming to get people involved in events, charities, and more.
    • Hyrule Hustlers – Video game enthusiasts who sponsor Childs Play and run Zelda-based events and marathons.
    • Marathon Gamers – A gaming marathon group tha does marathons for charities.
    • Mario Marathon – A yearly all-Mario gameathon to support Childs Play.
    • One Big Game – A nonprofit that raises money by selling games.

 

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.;

Fan I am #5: Why Identify As A Fan

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Book Shelf And More

So having thought about the kinds of fan, and why meltdowns occur, I keep wondering “why do people identify as fans so passionately?”

I mean in some ways it looks ridiculous to base part of your life on your love of Neon Genesis Evangelion*. Then you look at fanworks and giant conventions and fans turned pro and realize there’s something here. Fandom is a curious thing, and right when you wonder why the hell anyone would identify that way, you see something wonderful that makes you say “oh, I understand.”

However, as I noted, I think for many Fandom is more of a secondary identity than a primary. But why do people get so passionate? Why does it get so primary?

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Fan I am #4: Fandom Identity And Pathology

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Planetary Collision

We’ve all been there. Some of us may be there right now and wish we weren’t.

The fandom meltdown. The flame wars, the slander, the arguing, and perhaps even the outright confrontations and questionable activity. We’ve all got a story of arguments, of failed endeavors, of con overspending, and so for.

Now when you back up and say “but aren’t we here to like the same things” it makes one think. Why the people dedicated to “liking” something are so busy hating each other and creating problems.  It sort of botches the whole goal.

In fact, it may seem fans hate each other more. As a friend once, when discussing a specific (and yes, unnamed) fandom noted that he saw more infighting among fans than he did in people who didn’t like said fans. Familiarity is seriously a petri dish for contempt.

So as I noted I think there’s five kinds of fans: Recreational, General, Social, Active, and Applied. People may just relax, or their fandom is part of their overall active and probably professional life.

I think conflicts can actually be understood as meltdowns in specific spheres. Usually this leaves the Recreational and General fans going “WTF?”*

But for others, it makes perfect sense. Or at least imperfect sense.

Here’s where I think it happens.

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