Move over, nerd--the socialite geek is here to stay

Move over, nerd. Tech isn't just for geeks anymore.

Thanks to an endless list of networking sites, forums, and online games, there is an undeniable rise in human communities forming online. Technology gives us more ways to connect to each other than ever before... and it's not just the technophiles who use them.

Classically, the game industry has published games for and by the solitary nerd. These games feature fictional violence and characters with little growth arc to them. These games "trivialize the importance of the emotional experience," warns Sheri Graner Ray, author of "Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market."

In short, those games are made to appeal to a small stereotype of loner geeks.

But a growing number of games, animated shows, and comic books have proved the market can expand beyond that stereotype.

Take World of Warcraft for example. It is an online game played by more than 9 million people worldwide. It has continued to top sales charts since its release in 2004. And no--those 9 million aren't the socially-inept number-crunching hide-in-the-dark stereotype of a "gamer."

"Myself and all four kids and husband play here," said Olathedyami, a Warcraft player with grown children. "...(I) actually started playing because my husband was stationed at Ft. Irwin for almost two years."

She is part of a guild that prides itself on being family-friendly, meaning children and parents alike play together. Other guilds restrict their membership to be adult-only, and some are for seniors only.

It's not a surprise that people are able to play in and succeed in World of Warcraft. According to a speech given by Cliff Dennett, a corporate strategist, the skills you need to excel in the game are the same skills all leaders need in the corporate world.

"Gamers collaborate with many people they've never met, often in different time zones," he said, as quoted in an M-net news story. "You need to be a mediator and co-ordinate differing opinions and you need to allocate tasks according to skill levels. A good leader also links rewards and incentives to make members want to come back night after night.

"These are critical leadership skills required in business."

Even gamers enjoy social activity, too? If that doesn't sound right, just ask Steven Poole, author of "Trigger Happy: Videogames and the Entertainment Revolution." He'll tell you that competition and co-operation is half the fun.

Maybe the new technology does make technophiles of us all. We love to connect. We love to share. We love to compete. And we love the technology that lets us do that.