Summary
The video documentary, The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires recounts the early years of the computer tech industry, and the rise of the personal computer. Following the lives and work of early software developers such as Paul Allen, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison, the film delves into the history of the Silicon Valley. Starting from the bulky corporate computers of the early 20th century, the documentary follows their gradual transition into the home market (Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires (1996)).
With it, brilliant minds of the decade put their time, passion and effort into programming like never before. Working with the foundations of the coding language, the main stars of the documentary discuss their drive in working in tech. Counter-culture, history and innovation came together to make the Silicon Valley into what it is today.
Additionally, the character of the nerd in popular culture is explored to an extent. Authors of the documentary frame young programmers as socially awkward and different from the rest. The supposed inability to work with others is presented as a quirk and a necessity for being in this industry. The movie glorifies the image of a computer nerd while simultaneously ridiculing it, and excludes the contribution of people separate from a typical image of a tech-savvy person.
Main Points
People responsible for the creation of the PC market are passionate, self-made entrepreneurs.
Authors of the documentary use specific tools in order to solidify a particular view on its main subjects. In particular, the audience sees a form of a rags-to-riches story, where talented and passionate individuals are able to apply their skills and make themselves extremely rich. In the narrative of the film, hard work at the expense of one’s health or possible social relations is rewarded, and perceived innovation leads to sure-fire success. In order to present a particular view of individuals such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, the makers of the film actively choose to highlight their struggles and noble beginnings, creating a favorable impression from the audience. I would personally disagree with this interpretation of the people depicted. While it is evident that all of them were especially talented and capable in the tech field, most of the ones that succeeded came from well-off middle class backgrounds, having the financial stability needed to start their business.
Tech developers and programmers are nerds and social outcasts, unable to truly integrate into society.
In the documentary, especially at the start, the authors make significant efforts towards painting a particular image of a tech innovator. The notion of “nerds”, in particular, seems highly prominent. From author’s point of view, nerds are categorically different from other people, considered separate from the rest of society. Most figures discussed within the film, regardless of their personal lives or opinions, are depicted as anti-social, awkward and strange people. The eccentricities of working on one’s passion are highlighted, while the writers make personal remarks about the ability of nerds to communicate with others. I fully disagree with the author’s framing of these people. Essentially, the portrayal of tech-savvy people in the film presents them as uniquely separate from the rest, lacking the same basic skills other people possess. This is done in service of the exceptionalism narrative the film fosters, while also reinforcing a demeaning view of engineers and programmers. In addition, it often excludes those that do not fit under the narrow labels proposed by the makers of the documentary.
Personal computers are an inevitable part of today’s life and have tremendous influence.
Through its narrative structure, the documentary seeks to emphasize the importance of personal computers as part of society. Their inclusion and evolution clues viewers in on prominence of computers in a variety of social areas. Culture, business, consumer-oriented businesses, medicine, government, all areas of life became dominated by the presence of computers, and their software.
Social and Ethical Issues
The plot of the film is interesting to examine from a social standpoint. In particular, the narrative treatment of programming, engineering and coding as a profession is interesting. The first thing that the viewer can notice is that the documentary is very male-oriented, taking an expressed misogynist stance. Women are seen as largely incapable of contributing to the tech industry, and non-existent in programming overall. This discrepancy is portrayed as a difference of character, with men being more interested in engineering and having the “dedication” to pursue this career (Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires (1996)).
The framing deliberately erases contributions of female programmers into the industry, and actively shapes the image of a stereotypical coder to be as far for feminine as possible. Additionally, the film’s engagement with the concept of nerd was already noted. Computer-savvy people of the film are ostracized from the rest of society, viewed as different due to their interests and habits. Many of the more negative qualities, such as a lack of social interaction, unkemptness, and unhealthy lifestyles are made the center of attention. Such framing does a poor job of characterizing a large demographic of people working in the tech industry, perpetuating stereotypes instead of working to disprove them.
Reference
The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires (1996)[Video]. (n.d.). Dailymotion.