History
The Geek Code was invented by Robert A. Hayden in 1993 and is defined at geekcode.com. This concept is used in many other occupations and groups such as goths (Goth Code) and even the Schlock Mercenary webcomic.
A few years before the Geek Code was published, similar codes existed for other purposes. The Natural Bears Classification System is a very similar code for the Bear community. Like the Geek Code, it generally uses a single letter for the attribute and + or − signs for the grade. It was inspired by the Yerkes spectral classification system for describing stars. Unlike the Geek Code, this spectral classification system uses classes, subclasses & peculiarities for categorization. These systems differ in their orthogonality, the Geek Code is very orthogonal in the computer science sense (may be projected onto basis vectors), where the Yerkes system is very orthogonal in the taxonomic sense (represent mutually exclusive classes).
In some parts of the net, it was once common practice to use a geek code as one's signature, though those times are now long past. One of the consequences of being so old in such a fast-moving field is that much of the geek code now looks rather dated. The World Wide Web is described as "relatively new and little understood" — while the latter may still be accurate, the former certainly isn't.
Hayden's own geek code is:
GED/J d-- s:++>: a-- C++(++++) ULU++ P+ L++ E---- W+(-) N+++ o+ K+++ w--- O- M+ V-- PS++>$ PE++>$ Y++ PGP++ t- 5+++ X++ R+++>$ TV+ b+ DI+++ D+++ G+++++ e++ h r-- y++**
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
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