I'm not a geek

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I got called a geek today. I gently corrected the accuser; I'm a nerd. There's a difference. He didn't seem to care, all the same to him. This has never bothered me much before, but this time it did. I don't know why.

In this time of forced recognition and acceptance (even praise) of fringe genders, sexual orientations, and other miscellaneous anthropological constructs, I think it's time we get on the bandwagon and cram awareness of nerdism down the throats of all bystanders who look like they might be hurtfully oblivious. Stand up, get offended, beat folks about the neck and head with your mighty nerd stick, and pity the fool who makes the same mistake twice. It's time people stop lumping our scientific and technological pursuits in with other people's affinity for Dungeons & Dragons and comicon.

(Previous paragraph was satire)

But seriously, who doesn't know the difference between a nerd and a geek?
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
I always though that was a grey area?
Overlap etc.

This is one of what is out there!
geek:
1 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked.
2 : an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity e.g.computer geek.
3 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake.

Nerd
Noun:
A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.
"one of those nerds who never asked a girl to dance"
a single-minded expert in a particular technical field.
"a computer nerd"

Verb nerd;
engage in or discuss a technical field obsessively or with great attention to detail.
"his engineering background means he tends to nerd out a bit on the numbers
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I see the definitions are unclear, even here. That's surprising.
Elon musk is the furthest thing from a geek.

Habitually staying up until sunrise drinking red bull, pissing in soda bottles and playing MMORPG games on your PC doesn't make you a "computer nerd." It makes you a geek.

Being able to cite the season and episode # of a star trek quote doesn't make you a nerd, it makes you a geek.

Having a room dedicated to star wars memorabilia doesn't make you a nerd, it makes you a geek.

Playing Pokémon in your 30s doesn't make you a nerd, it makes you a geek.



Laying awake at night comparing numbers from transistor datasheets doesn't make you a geek, it makes you a nerd.

Studying astronomy, chemistry, advanced math, etc just for fun, doesn't make you a geek, it makes you a nerd.

Getting filthy rich designing video game to sell to geeks, makes you a nerd.

Getting filthy rich designing electric cars to sell to the masses, makes you a nerd.



Nerds are almost always intelligent. I've never met a stupid nerd. There is no IQ prerequisite for being a geek however.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I always though that was a grey area?
Overlap etc.

This is one of what is out there!
geek:
1 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked.
2 : an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity e.g.computer geek.
3 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake.

Nerd
Noun:
A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.
"one of those nerds who never asked a girl to dance"
a single-minded expert in a particular technical field.
"a computer nerd"

Verb nerd;
engage in or discuss a technical field obsessively or with great attention to detail.
"his engineering background means he tends to nerd out a bit on the numbers
The only overlap, the only thing in common, is a higher than average likelihood of social ineptitude.

What 1830's dictionary did you pull those definitions from? :p
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
I got called a geek today. I gently corrected the accuser; I'm a nerd. There's a difference. He didn't seem to care, all the same to him. This has never bothered me much before, but this time it did. I don't know why.

In this time of forced recognition and acceptance (even praise) of fringe genders, sexual orientations, and other miscellaneous anthropological constructs, I think it's time we get on the bandwagon and cram awareness of nerdism down the throats of all bystanders who look like they might be hurtfully oblivious. Stand up, get offended, beat folks about the neck and head with your mighty nerd stick, and pity the fool who makes the same mistake twice. It's time people stop lumping our scientific and technological pursuits in with other people's affinity for Dungeons & Dragons and comicon.

(Previous paragraph was satire)

But seriously, who doesn't know the difference between a nerd and a geek?
Watching this thread to learn that.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
13,081
I see the definitions are unclear, even here. That's surprising.
Elon musk is the furthest thing from a geek.
Wow. IMO, you are the one confused. Being called a technology Geek from those in the science fields is an honor and has been for ages in tech circles. Geeks have the sheepskin on the wall and one the back pocket, just in case during a hot date. When I hear the word nerd used it's mostly in a negative way by techies. The social media intermixes the terms but please, never call me a nerd.

https://justplainnerdy.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/nerd-or-geek-whats-the-difference/
1636761724496.png
A quick search for terms finds this:
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Computer+nerds

https://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Computer+geeks

They could have chosen either word but they knew the difference.

1636762394465.png
 
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Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Wow. IMO, you are the one confused. Being called a technology Geek from those in the science fields is an honor and has been for ages in tech circles. Geeks have the sheepskin on the wall and one the back pocket, just in case during a hot date. When I hear the word nerd used it's mostly in a negative way by techies. The social media intermixes the terms but please, never call me a nerd.

https://justplainnerdy.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/nerd-or-geek-whats-the-difference/
View attachment 252558
A quick search for terms finds this:
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Computer+nerds

https://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Computer+geeks

They could have chosen either word but they knew the difference.
According to overwhelming numbers I am not the one who is confused.

https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/are-you-a-geek-or-a-nerd/

https://www.theregister.com/2013/07/01/geeks_vs_nerds_whose_side_are_you_on/

Also when I google, every article so far agrees with me. (I will keep looking though).
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
13,081
According to overwhelming numbers I am not the one who is confused.

https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/are-you-a-geek-or-a-nerd/

https://www.theregister.com/2013/07/01/geeks_vs_nerds_whose_side_are_you_on/

Also when I google, every article so far agrees with me. (I will keep looking though).
I can only give my limited personal experience on the matter. In the technology circles I've been, being called a Geek was good. It's pretty much like the popular definition of hacker. The current media usage is not what I and many others used originally or today outside of popular media. We called those guys computer crackers instead of the more positive term hacker.

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/10257/cracker

https://www.techopedia.com/2/29068/security/for-the-love-of-hackers
 
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Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
LOL @ your edit. That's good.

I never felt the need to google "nerd vs geek," that's something my life experiences led me to just intuitively know the difference between. Maybe it isn't as set in stone as I thought. Or maybe the definitions have swapped over the years, following suit with reversal of the definitions of Democrat and Republican.

I am glad I posted this and glad you replied. It makes me at least aware that self professing as a nerd might not mean the same thing to everyone who hears it and until such time as the definitions are correct in the dictionary I should probably avoid both terms.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
13,081
LOL @ your edit. That's good.

I never felt the need to google "nerd vs geek," that's something my life experiences led me to just intuitively know the difference between. Maybe it isn't as set in stone as I thought. Or maybe the definitions have swapped over the years, following suit with reversal of the definitions of Democrat and Republican.

I am glad I posted this and glad you replied. It makes me at least aware that self professing as a nerd might not mean the same thing to everyone who hears it and until such time as the definitions are correct in the dictionary I should probably avoid both terms.
You won't want to 'trigger' a person. Geeks of the world unite.
 

KeithWalker

Joined Jul 10, 2017
3,063
I agree with Nsaspook. I have been called, and have considered myself a "Geek" ever since my mid teens. That's about 60 years in all! I would be deeply offended if I was accused of being a "Nerd". I think Max definedned them both pretty accurately.
 
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