Bowling has the potential to do for geeks what golf does for management types. It's an opportunity to talk shop in a relaxed setting. For geeks, bowling presents these advantages:

	* Not physically demanding, so the fact that you sit at a desk staring at a computer screen all day is not a serious handicap, as in basketball or tennis.

'' Actually, if you become a real addict - it is demanding. I started out bowling 2 to 3 games during my lunch hour. There was something about bowling that served as an antidote to the whole MonitorZombie thing. However, now that I'm out of work, I'll bowl 6 to 12 games at a time. It's great therapy and definitely works up a sweat!'' -- RachelStruthers

	* Played indoors, curtailing pesky sunburns and squinting. In fact, the lighting at bowling alleys tends to be the same flickery fluorescent light that we have in our cubes.

	* Scored by computers, facilitating discussions of various possible approaches to implementing bowling scoring software, like ObjectMentorBowlingGame.
		* ''Then do you end up with a Strike''''''Solution?''

	* Goes great with beer!

	* Leaves plenty of time for people to sit around and talk geek stuff.

	* Good exercise for wrists. Strong wrists prevent CarpalTunnelSyndrome.

	* Much like software development, bowling is team oriented. 

	* Bowling shirts are very retro. Just the thing for the fashionable geek (oxymoron?!?)

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Several of the items on this list suggest that the bowling environment is a lot like the work environment. I think this makes it ''unsuitable'' as a fun, relaxed, social activity. The major attraction of golf for suits is that it gets people out of the office (see GettingOut). But maybe I'm just not enough of a geek anymore to appreciate the joys of sitting under fluorescent lights. -- KrisJohnson

''It is very suitable. I bowl with a group of people who aren't geeks which is a nice change of pace. I also BowlAlone. The advantage of the BowlAlone thing is that you get into the ZenOfBowling. All that matters is throwing the ball. You forget about things like PointyHairedBosses and MicromanagingSadist''''''s. -- RachelStruthers''

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How ever, unlike Golf (GolfForGeeks?) or Geelf(RulesOfGeelf), Bowling still makes us geeks look like vampires. Until we have more outdoor bowling lanes, I think I'll try and find other forms of geeky fun.

Jason Ritchie rules the "All Sorts" League with an Iron Fist - supported by the trusty Gutter Pimps. Watch out, Larry, here we come!

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A ''true'' MonitorZombie writes a bowling game! See RonJeffries articles at http://www.xprogramming.com/xpmag/ for suggestions.