I've a curiousity question for the geeks of this forum (you)

[Quetzi]

Myself and a friend were talking the other day, and we mention how we both prefer the term geek over nerd. I'm not sure why this is, seeing as geek has far more negative connotations if you look at the word origins, you end up comparing drunk guy who bites the heads off of chickens with a sickly humanoid creature from Dr. Seuss.

So I ask you, which term do you prefer, and why? I'm starting to suspect it's a regional thing.

BTW, nobody likes being call a whale penis.

[Gengar003]

They have different meanings, or at least to me. "Nerd" implies someone hoplessly obsessed with something, to the point where they torture anyone who tries to interact with them with their sheer devotedness to the topic.

"Geek" implies that the person is really, really, good at their chosen topic, and knows more about it than you could ever hope to. Ish.

I am a computer geek amongst my peers.

BTW, nobody likes being call a whale penis.

A friend and I actually came up with a word for that.. "derka-jerka," which, technically, is a whale's penis' penis, but still it's kind of creepy to see that here.

[Quetzi]

Dork means whale penis if you believe certain sources.

[Tin]

dork is short for dirk which is a short knife or wang.

Geek bites the head off of chickens.

Nerds have thier origins in dr seuss.

I'll take the seuss connotation. To qualify myself, i'm a computer engineering student who blows stuff up as a job for the e-school, and on breaks i run a small business fixing people's computers.

I prefer to be referred to as a nerd, or even better, a computer guy. There are quite a few who would refer to me as a geek, but i've always thought of nerds as the ones joining the physics club and/or programming team, the geeks joined band, and the dorks sat around playing d&d.

Buuuuuuuuuuut, seeing as this is a d&d comic, disregard that last part.

Nerds = studious and anti-social or social within nerd circles.
Geeks = severe fascination and anti-social or social within geek circles (think trekkies).
Dorks = Anti-social or social within dork circles.

While a geek can be a nerd, the geek's overriding fascination with a single or limited range of topics differentiates him from the nerd who may know about the stuff that geeks do, but will study before going to a star trek convention. It is possible for a geek to fail a class, but a d would be devasting to a nerd. A c is borderline or even devastating.

Heluva first post, eh?

[Bloodsplattered Sidewalks]

For me, nerd and geek are considered interchangable.

[Gengar003]

To me:

Nerd: Obsessed with something to the point of hampering interactions with others. Carries a non-electronic/technical connotation. ("Chronic" Trekkies/D&D players/Math students)
Geek: Very very good at a particular topic, to the point of evoking slight reverance from those around them. Carries an electronic/technical connotation. ("The computer guy")
Dork: Socially inept in a way that garners much teasing/abuse from those around them. (no example)

[Quetzi]

This is my friend's description of the difference when I asked him the question.

Well, a nerd uses Linux, whereas a geek reads Penny Arcade.

For the record, he prefers geek so much more.

[Gengar003]

This is my friend's description of the difference when I asked him the question.

Well, a nerd uses Linux, whereas a geek reads Penny Arcade.

For the record, he prefers geek so much more.

Awesome.