An SCA "geek code"
	Updated: Mar 24, 2007

This was inspired by the Official Geek Code, copyrighted by Robert A. Hayden;
except that this is intended for SCA folks to use and amuse.

The goal of my unofficial 'geek code' for the SCA is similar to that of Hayden's.
It's a spiffy way to let others who know this code know more about you.

This version: YF0307b. Released on 14 July 2003. 

[[ The current version is YF07a ]]

What's new?

0307b: Service specialty - "MC" children's activities. (Kudos to Cynewise.)
Chirurgeonry recoded from CH to FA (for "first aid") to distinguish from "children".

0307a: Big change in AS structure. New AS activities. New modifiers.
Minor changes in various categories.

CONTENTS

Example
Modifiers [jump to Modifiers]
Activity and Renown
  Peerage channels — Heavy Fighting, Arts and Sciences, Service
  Martial-related activities — Archery, Equestrian, Rapier, Siege Engineering
  Other activities — Cooking, Entourage, Heraldic Display, Heraldic Service, Merchanting, University
Appearance and Persona
  Age, Height and Weight, Garb, Persona
Demographics
  Experience, Travel, Encampment, Household, Family, Morning Person, Night Owl, Web
Using the Code
 

Seem like a lot? Hayden's version uses 34 categories. Mine has only 25, but is admittedly is more complex — if you want it to be.

Also, unlike Hayden's, all of the possible categories are not used. If you have no experience with something, or don't care to divulge that you do — no problem, just leave it out.

See anything that you feel is missing? Please do let me know . . .

See button at end of page.

Example

Below is my own SCA 'geek code' block. Note the updated syntax.

SCA GEEK CODE. Version YF0307b. %
xHF+o AS+i {DA FL' IL PP' QL VC} SR+i,xx&=
RA+i {B C SG} HD+o HS+i {C' F' L} UN+ii
A+i HW+ii/-ii G+i(+ii) P.16c,@/+o EX.xix/+ii(+iii)
TR-i/-i(+o) EN-ii FM+o(-ii) NT+o MP+o WB+ii(+iii) %

Here it is in a fixed font with links to the category descriptions below.

SCA GEEK CODE. Version YF0307b. %
xHF+o AS+i {DA FL' IL PP' QL VC} SR+i,xx&=
RA+i {B C SG} HD+o HS+i {C' F' L} UN+ii 
A+i HW+ii/-ii G+i(+ii) P.16c,@/+o 
EX.xix/+ii(+iii) TR-i/-i(+o) EN-iii 
FM+o(-ii) NT+o MP+o WB+ii(+iii) %

Modifiers, separators, indicators

Activity and Renown

Renown implies reputation, fame and respect for one's contributions.

Note: in the ratings below, high-level awards are those that come with at least an Award of Arms, and low-level awards rank below an AoA.

Peerage channels

The Big Three. Heavy Fighting, Arts and Sciences, Service.

Heavy Fighting (chivalric combat)

After the rating, viscounts and counts and earls can add a ^, only dukes can add ^^.

Specialties: GL (glaive), GR (greatsword), J (javelin), M (madu), P (polearm/poleaxe), S (spear)

Note the lack of axe and mace. If you truly specialize in axe or mace, lemme know.

Arts and Sciences
 

Specific A+S activity codes for your amusement 
Like other specialties, these go in curly brackets {}. They no longer use a rating scale.

AN (animal husbandry)
AE (archery equipment making)
AL (armorer: leather)
AM (armorer: maille)
AP (armorer: plate)
AY (astronomy/astrology)
BG (board games)
BC (bocce)
BH (bone/horn carving)
BR (brewing, not vintning)
QL (calligraphy — "quill")
CG (card games)
CY (carpentry, not woodcarving)
   (ceramics — see pottery)
WX (chandlery, candle making, "wax")
CH (chirurgeonry, historical)
CD (commedia dell' arte)
CM (cordial making)
GB (costuming — "garb")
DG (coursing — "dog")
DL (daily life in some culture)
DA (dance: European in general)
DI (dance: Italian)
DV (dance: Middle Eastern - "veil")
EM (embroidery)
FI (fiber arts — dyeing, spinning, weaving)
FL (flirtation)
GM (gaming, non-specific; also see bocce, 
    board games, card games)
GR (gardening)
GL (glasswork)
HG (headgear)
HB (herbs)

HS (historical science)
HR (horticulture)
IL (illumination, not painting)
JM (jewelry making)
JG (juggling)
LW (leatherwork, non-armor)
MK (make-up, cosmetics)
MS (metalsmith, non-armor)
MW (metalwork, non-armor)
MH (military history)
MC (music composition)
MP (music performance — melody instrument)
NL (nautical lore)
PA (painting, not scroll illumination)
PP (percussion performance)
PO (poetry)
PH (political history)
PT (pottery) 
PS (printing sciences)
   (prose - see story writing)
PU (puppetry)
PY (pysanky)
RL (religion)
SN (sandcasting)
SC (sculpture)
VC (singing/vocalist) 
SP (soapmaking)
ST (story telling)
SW (story writing)
TH (theatre performance/production)
VN (vintning, not brewing)
WC (woodcarving, not carpentry)

Reminders

If it's something you used to do, put an x before the code.

If it's something you enjoy teaching , put an ' after the code.

If it's something you really want to learn more about, list it with a ? after the code.

If you have AS+ii or higher, put a < after the rating, then your main areas (being a combination of what you excel at and what you were/are recognized for, which aren't always the same) before your "activity list".

Example: AS+iii < EM' GB' HG* { BH xCY FI' xLW SP' VN? } >=

If you're an info-maniac and you truly want to learn more about EVERYTHING, use @?

If you know of any specialty areas that you feel are missing, please do let me know.
See button at end of page.

Specific activities are covered elsewhere. K/P stands for "kingdom or principality". "War" refers to a big inter-kingdom event, including a Society Anniversary celebration, that regularly draws at least a few thousand people. A reign refers to having served as a ruler over a kingdom or principality.

Specialties: CL (clean-up), DC (decor, ambiance), DM (demos),
ES (event stewardship / "autocratting"), FA (chirurgeonry, think "first aid"),
KW (kitchen worker), MC (children's activities, think "Moc"), RG (registration / "troll")

For doing feasts, being the head cook/chef, "feastcrat", see Cooking below.

Martial-related activities

Archery, Equestrian, Rapier, Siege Engineering

Archery

Two ratings: combat, target.

Equestrian

Rapier

For those who study and play at the arte of defence.

Specialties: B (buckler/baton), C (cape/cloak), DD (double dagger), RE (research), RR (two rapiers),
SG (scenarios and games), SS (sidesword). Actually, these are more favorite forms and activities.

Siege Engineering

For those who use and build siege engines.

Other activities

Cooking, Entourage, Heraldic Display, Heraldic Service, Merchanting, University

Cooking

This rating has two parts: [1] What you can do in an indoor kitchen and [2] What you can do outdoors. For the higher ratings, average as needed, rounding up.

Specialties: BF (breakfasts), BK (baking), DS (desserts), SU (subtleties).

Entourage

For those non-officers (no court heralds or seneschals, please) who've stood behind the Kingdom or Principality Thrones for at least half of the Courts in a given reign (including those held by an Heir).

Heraldic Display

Heraldic Service

Specialties: A (Artist), B (Book: research, conflict-checking), C (Court), F (Field), L (List),
S (Silent: sign language), W (War: coordination at large inter-kingdom events).

Merchanting

University

At this writing, September 2002, about 10 kingdoms out of 17 have some sort of University program, and about only half of those have a degree structure — and the requirements vary widely! This category has been expanded to include general teaching.

Appearance and Persona

Age, Height and Weight, Garb, Persona

Age

Height and Weight

As you might guess, this rating has two parts. For "average" height, consider ancestry and your locale. To my best understanding, the average White or Black man in the US is about 5'9" (69") tall; the average woman is three inches shorter. People of Hispanic, Oriental, Mediterranean or African heritage are a little shorter on average.

Garb

Persona

This rating has two parts. The first is the timeframe for your persona. If you truly focus on multiple timeframes, use a comma between them (9-10c,1490s,1580s). If you're a "time traveller" like me, use @. For the second part of the rating, see below... 

Demographics

Experience, Travel, Encampment, Household, Family, Morning Person, Night Owl, Web

Experience

This rating has two parts: duration and activity.

Duration: Put the year you joined in two digit format (EX.91), if the time has been continuous. If not, put the actual rating in parentheses afterward. EX.69/+iii would apply to someone who started in 1969, but has been active "only" for 17-20 years. Alternatively, instead of the two-digit Gregorian year, use the Roman numeral of the Year of the Society: EX.xxiv

NOTE: May 1, 1966 to April 30, 1967 is Year One of the Society (A.S. 1).

Activity: To be fair and forthright let the activity level be an average of the past two years. The highest level, put in parentheses afterward, should have been sustained for at least two years in the past.

For nitpicks like me: A half-week at a long event (major war, SCA anniversary) counts as one event. If you travel by plane to get to an event, add one to your event total (up to four per year). For simplicity: events, demos, and local celebrations lasting one to three days all count the same. If you really want to, count half-day functions or less as half of one event. Round down.

Travel

This rating has two parts: [1] The vehicles you take to events and [2] How far you'll drive for a typical weekend event (not a war).

One RV = two trucks. One truck/van/SUV = two cars. One trailer = one car.
Space for one or two horses = one truck. Equestrians and merchants tend to rate high on this one. 

Encampment
 

Household

If you're in an organized household, how big is it? In this case, round to the closest number or down, whichever makes more sense. If you're a leader of the household, add ^ afterward. If you're a leader with regional leaders who report to you, add ^^.

Family

You, your relatives and significant others that are in your pack at a typical event.

Morning Person
 

Night Owl

How much sleep do you usually get at a weekend (or longer) event? People who stay up WAY late at events get into long conversations, drinking, dancing, drumming, bardic circles, whatever's going on. 

Web

Over the years, the Web has become an important part of the SCA. Meeting notes, contact lists, forms, surveys, award recommendations, newsletters, announcements, persona stories — they're all available online. Before about 1997, SCA-related Web sites and e-mail groups were still rare. Let the current rating cover your activity over the past six months. 

Using the Code

I think the best option is on your personal Web site.* If you use your SCA "geek code" in an e-mail group message, I wouldn't list it there very often more than once a month or two.

Meaning, don't put it in every message, mm'k? Thanks . . .

* Speaking of which, I'd stay with the free services ONLY as long as you absolutely need to. I used three different free services over about a year and a half. I didn't want ads on my pages or a tilde [~] in the URL. If you can afford to skip one pizza delivery a month, you can EASILY get your own domain and a good Web hosting plan!
 

Your feedback is most welcome!

Original page posted: September 1, 2002. Links tested: September 2, 2007. Last tweaked: March 24, 2007.

The address for this page is [ www.therotunda.net/sca/geek-code.html ]
 
Nothing on my Web site is the official publication of anyone else. Unauthorized use for profit is not permitted.