"Does she have encyclopedic knowledge of any random games you bring up? Has she played all of the games you can think of?"

No.

"If you are a jerk to someone who is new to games or doesn't know anything, you are part of the reason games have a bad reputation."

Who the fuck says I was being a jerk? What if I was asking a simple question? If I asked her if she's played Journey and she says "no, sorry," I'm not going to fly off the handle. The question didn't even imply that I got mad at this fictitious woman for not knowing. "Snarky" my ass, that's downright presumptuous.

It's not presumptuous. If you had actually read the description:

"Obviously, this test is just for those of you who are automatically suspicious of women and girls being fakers, and need them to prove that they are nerdy enough."

I think her reaction is a bit vitriolic,

Let's be clear here, the term nerd used to be reserved for people who where generally ostracized, someone who loved something so much they generally kept to themselves, now you play a game, you're a nerd, you read a book, you're a nerd.

So yes, I feel there is such a thing as a fake nerd, either way I am sick to death of gender bullshit in my fucking videogames. Enough already.

Couldn't agree more. People forget that "fake nerd" has nothing to do with the "nerd" part, but with being a subgroup of attention whoring.

And I'm a bit amused by the fact it is regularly associated with women. Most attention whores I know are women. That does not make it exclusive, I've seen plenty of fake gamer/nerd/whatever dudes as well. Sometime ago it was called "being a poser".

I think that a great number of women are sick to death of gender bullshit in their absolutely fucking everything. Sometimes a little vitriol is understandable.

Well said. It's pretty easy to dismiss this kind of thing when you don't get rape-threats and come-ons every time you log in to Xbox-Live. Once Gamer culture's treatment of women actually improves (and it hasn't), we'll all start hearing less about it.

Reading books about video games

The novelization of a movie adaptation of a video game.

Based on a book that is about video games.

Since when did reading a book make you a nerd? Last time I checked everyone has read a book or two in their life unless they're a fucking idiot.

I will admit that "fake nerds" probably exist, but people are way too quick to accuse others, especially women, of being fake. It's misogynistic bull shit. You want gender in games to go away, but it's never going away. Games are a part of culture after all, issues such as gender will always be tangled into them every now and then. So yeah, better get used to it and stop being a prick.

Also "ostracized" is a strong word you know, it's not like nerds are this oppressed group of people who've been kept down by "the man" for several decades.

It's the 'fucking idiots' who invented the term 'nerd' to make them feel better about their own stupidity.

As someone who's worked in libraries pretty much since I was old enough to get a job, yeah, people (especially younger people and guys) who willingly read as a hobby/pastime are considered nerdy. I use (and take) the expression as a compliment!

" What you readin' for ? "

Yeesh, cool your jets. The ideology of what makes a nerd has changed, yes, but is that really such a bad thing? I, for one, am thankful for the change, as nerds are now not looked down upon so negatively.

wasn't the whole point of the words "nerd" and "geek" the negative connotation? I mean, I understand the idea that words change, but to me nerd culture is all about this shared sense of being victimized and bullied for being smarter than the other kids in school and never fitting in. It's really weird that it's just kind of become a new way to say "devotee."

That's what it always meant. Nowadays, people are realizing that's not actually a bad thing to be.

No they just changed the meaning so thwy can be trendy and say im such a neeeerd look at meeee

Look, I'm all for throwing away labels and shit, but insulting your audience, even in a passive-aggressive way like in this quiz (it's not a game), is never the way to go.

The message I got was "the sole act of 'thinking' your girlfriend is a fake makes you an asshole".

You're baited into the "game", and the instant you hit "start" you already lost. Kind of the Stanley Parable.

I'm sympathetic to the sentiment about labels, just not the delivery.

I suppose the quiz DOES tell you before it starts who it's meant for. It probably assumes you're angrily clicking "YES SHE PLAYS CASUAL GAMES THAT HARLOT" or whatever.

I'll cop to it, I still struggle with being judgmental, only it's not towards the "GURRRLLL gamer" thing so much as it is people who wear their love for the most predictably "nerd" shit on their sleeve (usually in the form of black logo t-shirts.) Doctor Who, Steampunk, Zombies, D&D, sarcasm, that kind of stuff. I'm catching myself in the act now since it's just a case of "STOP LIKING WHAT I DON'T LIKE," but I've only recently begun to change that mindset.

Start liking what they like or you aren't in. Doctor Who, Steampunk, Zombies, D&D, sarcasm, that kind of stuff is what's in on the webs and if you don't get that you are old and stuffy and probably buy second-hand clothes. If you don't believe me go to boingboing. (come back after you get baned)

Of course it's passive aggressive. It was made by a woman.

Hey, how about you read this first.

"Obviously, this test is just for those of you who are automatically
suspicious of women and girls being fakers, and need them to prove that
they are nerdy enough."

THAT'S BASICALLY SAYING IF YOU AREN'T THE TARGET AUDIENCE DON'T PLAY IT. If you are and you do play it you've already lost, that's the point. How are people not getting this?

So...? How does that change anything I said, or what this quiz does?

You're being told that the sole act of "suspecting" makes you some sort of subhuman. Way to send a positive message!

I played it out of morbid curiosity, not because it somehow applied to me, but even as an outsider I can tell you it's only engaging in the same unfounded accusations that it is trying to condemn.

Again, this quiz is clear: suspicion equals guilt.

yes, suspicion does equal guilt.
Why the fuck would you ever think "Is my girlfriend a fake nerd?" unless you were an asshole?

Is that what you think? That makes you an asshole.

No burden of proof, or action on your thoughts required.

The single act of thinking that "suspicion does equal guilt" and some people's thoughts make them assholes regardless of the reasons they may have to think that makes you an asshole as well.

...right?

Please, tell me how you can so amazingly control all of your thoughts.

Also, you are now thinking about your balls.

I took it as if I was "judging" my wife, and when it asked if she had encyclopedic knowledge I said "no," and the "game" berated me as if I'd made an ass of myself being a dick to her because I knew more about gaming than her.
Way to fight biting, hateful stereotypes by assuming the same from yourself. And, for the record, my wife and I both play lots of games together but she doesn't like them as passionately as I. And that's never been a problem.
This quiz is just douchy in every respect.

The sad part is nobody will ever learn from this. People will either already be ok with girls gaming however they want and be pissed for being attacked, or people will be assholes and either not take the quiz or completely miss the point. And the creator will probably dismiss all these comments from people as "proving her point" or something.
Really, this IS a good point to make (buried deep under this quiz...somewhere) but this is the absolute wrong way to go about doing it.

... she makes a valid point with this game, but unfortunately she herself seems to label females as casual gamers with this quiz... the fact is that casuals gamers can be male or female. This quiz simply seems to further the current gender divide in games, which is a real shame - because the simple fact is that some people are gamers, and some just enjoy the occasional game. There is no gender involved.
Statistics may indicate that more women play casual games, and more males play console games... but using statistics to generalize is called stereotyping, and this quiz seems to stereotype both males and females. :(

"... she makes a valid point with this game"

Really? How?

If you have to ask

I do have to ask. Is this problem really that prevalent?

the "valid point" she seems to make with this game is that many men seem to wrongfully feel that women need to prove or verify that we are actually gamers (or nerds). Our validity as gamers is questioned much more often than a man's right to call themselves a "gamer". If your male buddy says he's a gamer it's not like you immediately start quizzing him looking for flaws so that you can dispute his claim... and the reality is that this often DOES happen to women.
(oh, and if we do happen to seem knowledgeable about some nerdy topic or video games, and it's a text based environment, then our actual gender is often called into question and we are accused of actually being male and disguising ourselves as a female!)

I think a lot of misunderstandings could be cleared up if more boys went on the internet and pretended (genuinely, not in a sarcastic or fun sense) to be a girl. It gets uncomfortable in many environments. Typically the nerdier the environment, the more unwanted advances and requests for nudes, etc. you get.

"Besides you can be a nerd about other things anyway so maybe you should
just stop being judgemental eh? Maybe she'd even start to play games if
you introduced them to her and don't act like a dick about it!"

Delicious. Fucking. Irony.

i'ts funny when they don't see the irony and delve headlong into hypocrisy tho. As Robert Downey Jr once said "you don't go full retard." sound advice this little lady should have taken before coming up with this "test."

It seems as though some individual has rallied to her defense by down-voting every contrary or critical comment in the thread. Good to see that chivalry is still alive for some.

Knights be whitin' round here. and as we all know, a downvote is the most heroic thing one can do to speak for the little people, because actually responding is too hard.

There is no proper way to challenge somebody to a duel here.

NO U MEET ME ON TF2 FRIDAY NIGHT ONE HOUR BEFORE FNF, REVOLVERS ONLY.

DON'T BE LATE.

Also prepare your best hat. May be best dressed win.

but but.... TF2 SUX!

NO SHUT UP, IT'S TIME TO MANN UP.

And now you must die.

"1v1 me asshole" Is the internet's way of dueling

I like games, I dislike gamers

The term "gamer" makes me want to quit everything I enjoy.

I know. why use terms like gamer, or football player, or politician, or human, or red, or broccoli? I mean, they ONLY serve to reinforce negative stereotypes.

Fucking broccoli.

Words in general are loaded with unpleasant connotations and should be done away with.

From this moment on, humanity shall communicate via interpretive dance.