Eric Knorr
Contributing writer

Take the InfoWorld Tech Celebrity Trivia Quiz

analysis
May 26, 20082 mins

Our first question: Is "tech celebrity" a contradiction in terms? Answer: Could be. The continual lament of all of us who work in this industry is that no one understands us -- with mainstream coverage like David Brooks' "The Alpha...

Our first question: Is “tech celebrity” a contradiction in terms? Answer: Could be. The continual lament of all of us who work in this industry is that no one understands us — with mainstream coverage like David Brooks’ “The Alpha Geeks” in Friday’s New York Times, who can blame us for thinking so?

The famous or infamous among us are not known, as Hollywood celebrities are, for what we do professionally or how we look (excepting the occasional geek chic that’s noted for its comedic value to civilians) but for the eccentricities expected of geeks — stuff like throwing chairs, demanding special airport landing privileges, or the latest YouTube follies.

Well, if you can’t beat ’em, join in the trivialization. Frequent contributors Gina Smith and Dan Tynan have pooled their vast knowledge of industry lore to produce InfoWorld’s first Tech Celebrity Trivia Quiz, a test so monumental in its scope and profundity I defy anyone to achieve a perfect score. Some questions will take you back to the days when the Valley was better known for missiles than semiconductors; others are as fresh as Mark Zuckerberg’s newly laundered sweatshirts. Some questions will be easy, especially for old timers; others will defy your most adept Googling (please stop that and play fair).

On second thought, go ahead and cheat. If you do manage to get every answer correct, you will not, as usual, win anything except the accolades of your peers, which in geekdom means a mumbled acknowledgment at best. Failing that, enjoy the warm glow that comes with knowing more about the lives of our captains of industry and infamy than five-ninths of the rest of us. Last question: That’s worth something, isn’t it?

Eric Knorr

Eric Knorr is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist. Previously he was the Editor in Chief of Foundry’s enterprise websites: CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. A technology journalist since the start of the PC era, he has developed content to serve the needs of IT professionals since the turn of the 21st century. He is the former Editor of PC World magazine, the creator of the best-selling The PC Bible, a founding editor of CNET, and the author of hundreds of articles to inform and support IT leaders and those who build, evaluate, and sustain technology for business. Eric has received Neal, ASBPE, and Computer Press Awards for journalistic excellence. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a BA in English.

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