I have to say, the guys I've known who wear shorts and sandals year round and grow their hair out for years at a time did not "know" women and snort cocaine.
The dichotomy Cringely seems to be drawing here is between people who don't conform to social norms because they're unaware of them, and people who don't conform to social norms because they're actively rebelling against them. To be honest, I don't think most people care about the distinction. For them, both of these caricatures are just awkward; no further sub-classifications are necessary.
For an article which seems to be trying to popularize geek culture, it sure does a good job of trivializing it.
The dichotomy Cringely seems to be drawing here is between people who don't conform to social norms because they're unaware of them, and people who don't conform to social norms because they're actively rebelling against them. To be honest, I don't think most people care about the distinction. For them, both of these caricatures are just awkward; no further sub-classifications are necessary.
For an article which seems to be trying to popularize geek culture, it sure does a good job of trivializing it.