Hacker News Reader

Comment by davidroberts | Hacker News Reader

From the article: "But how do you take someone who's grown up in the world of pocket protectors..."

Does anyone actually use a pocket protector anymore? That is such a lame cliche to describe geeks. It's like saying "...someone who's grown up in the world of slide rules..."

More accurate would be something like "...the world of algorithms and Maxwell's equations..." or "...the world of integrals and epsilon-delta..."

View on HN

I know some professional engineers who wear pocket protectors. Not students, though.

I'm wondering where you would actually buy a pocket protector? A quick Google search brings up plenty of ironic tshirts and novelties, but no actual pocket protectors.

(And no, I don't actually want one. I'm just curious.)

Stationery supplies sell them. Baumgartner is one brand.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ALPJIG/ref=asc_df_B001ALPJIG242...

Most people didn't buy them in the old days. Typically they were given away as promotional items. They are actually pretty useful beyond their obvious function of keeping your pockets from being destroyed by ink leaks and sharp points. For example, you could switch a set of writing instruments you use everyday from shirt to shirt without having to disassemble and reassemble it. But even the nerdiest these days realize that the only surer way to look like a total social misfit without involving body odors is to break your plastic-rimmed glasses at the bridge and repair them with tape.

I use to have an MIT one that I assume came from the COOP, but no idea if they still have them.

Edit: ooh, I just found a leather one on thinkgeek http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f216/

Reply on news.ycombinator.com