[Landos Mustache]

I am trying to figure out which one I am.

[Ghoser777]

Being a geek is better then a nerd. I usually consider geeks regular people (in terms of social skills) who are talented at and like technology, science, math, etc. Nerds, on the other hand, are not only talented and interested in those subjects, but they tend to lack regular social skills and the ability to interact with people who are not as savvy in technology, science, math, etc.

[itai195]

Main difference is that geeks have at least some shred of social aptitude. Steve Jobs would be a geek, Bill Gates would be a nerd (at least he used to be, I think he's received a software upgrade recently).

[Lateralus]

Agreed. Nerd is definitely more of an insult.

[Ulrich Kinbote]

So sounds like you're a nerd then?

You could approach the problem by asking yourself: Who is the archetypal nerd? Who is the archetypal geek?

It's gotta be Steve Urkel for the nerd.

[Gossamer]

From what I understand:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

[Millennium]

I'd say that "geek" has more connotations of technological passion and skill than "nerd" these days. To give a basic example, EverQuest is geeky while D&D is nerdy. Programming is geeky while linguistics is nerdy. Obviously there's going to be a lot of overlap, but technology seems to make the difference between a geek and a nerd.

[Landos Mustache]

Ok I'd say I am a geek then with the odd nerd moment.

[itai195]

Originally Posted by Millennium

To give a basic example, EverQuest is geeky while D&D is nerdy. Programming is geeky while linguistics is nerdy. Obviously there's going to be a lot of overlap, but technology seems to make the difference between a geek and a nerd.

Playing EverQuest or WoW: geeky

Playing EverQuest or WoW while dressing up like your avatar and/or only speaking Orcish: nerdy

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by itai195

Playing EverQuest or WoW: geeky

Playing EverQuest or WoW while dressing up like your avatar and/or only speaking Orcish:need help!

Fixed™

[NeXTLoop]

Another simple break-down:

A nerd uses a pocket protector...
A geek uses a PDA/Smartphone

I personally use a Treo.

[smacintush]

Geeky chick =

Nerdy chick =

[Landos Mustache]

LAN Parties =

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

From what I understand:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

A dork is a whale's penis.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

LAN Parties =

[img]http://media.bonnint.net/slc/16/1648/164880.jpg[img]

I have a feeling that sign will reappear many a time in the future.
*downloads it immediately...*

[goMac]

My girlfriend tends to think a nerd is just someone who is really smart, while a geek is someone who is really smart but anti-social and weird and that whole stereotype. So when she drives by Apple campus at rush hour and screams nerds out her window (if any Apple employees are here, I apologize for my girlfriend) it's more a sign of affection. But according to her geek is he ugly anti social sort.

In my experience, its usually been the opposite. Geek is the type who is just smart in a topic, and nerds are the sort who's lives dangerously revolve around it.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Rumor

A dork is a whale's penis.

dork |dôrk| noun informal a dull, slow-witted, or socially inept person.
• vulgar slang the penis.
DERIVATIVES dorky adjective
ORIGIN 1960s(originally U.S., in the sense ‘penis’ ): perhaps a variant of dirk , influenced by dick

[ort888]

A nerd is someone who excels at academia and is socially awkward.

Geeks are obsessed with some form of less then cool activity to an extreme degree. It can be just about anything and is usually a lot of things that overlap. Computers, comic books, sci-fi, Star Trek, Star Wars, music, the Simpsons, Toys, trivia... anything really except perhaps more socially acceptable past-times like sports and athletics. Geeks are usually socially inept, but it isn't a requirement.

A dork is just someone who is socially awkward.

There can be a lot of overlap. Most Nerds are also obsessed with many geeky things.

[Landos Mustache]

Geeks are like nerds but they get laid.

[ort888]

Not necessarily. I know a lot of geeks who may never get laid.

It's possible to be a geek and still be cool, but it is definitely not part of the definition.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

nerd:http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Nerd
geek:http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Geek
dork:http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Dork
to me geeky chicks are hot

[Landos Mustache]

http://www.tshirthell.com/store/prod...+CHOOSE+A+SIZE

[Gossamer]

The word "geek" originates with side-show "circus geeks" — performers at carnivals who swallow various live animals and bugs (zoology). Sometimes this extends to biting off the heads of chickens.

[olePigeon]

This is how I always saw it:

Nerd: Someone into sciences, technology, mathematics.
Geek: Someone obsessed with odd hobbies. Anime, D&D, train spotting, etc.

[Landos Mustache]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

The word "geek" originates with side-show "circus geeks" — performers at carnivals who swallow various live animals and bugs (zoology). Sometimes this extends to biting off the heads of chickens.

Ya I learnt that from the x-files and the Simpsons.

Hey, gay once meant happy.

http://www.gaydolphin.com/

[dlefebvre]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

From what I understand:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

So a Neerk is all of the above?

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

This is how I always saw it:

Nerd: Someone into sciences, technology, mathematics.
Geek: Someone obsessed with odd hobbies. Anime, D&D, train spotting, etc.

I LOVE train spotting!
How did you know?

[Ulrich Kinbote]

Originally Posted by Rumor

A dork is a whale's penis.

Wrong.

In spite of what you're apt to read on any of over 2,000 Web pages, the word 'dork' does not mean 'whale penis.' I defy you to show it defined as such in any valid dictionary. Though its origins remain somewhat of a mystery, etymologists say 'dork' — usually defined as a stupid, foolish or inept person — is most likely a variant of 'dick,' which is, in fact, a slang term for penis, though not specifically that of a whale. All this is by way of saying that if you ask me, the true definition of a 'dork' is the kind of person who would make up something like this.

[Ghoser777]

Originally Posted by Ulrich Kinbote

Wrong.

citation: http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/006133.htm

[Dork.]

Dorks are much better looking than Geeks and Nerds.

[- - e r i k - -]

Reclaiming and self-identification

Geek has always had negative connotations within society at large, where being described as a geek tends to be an insult. The term has recently become less condescending, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields and subcultures; this is particularly evident in the technical disciplines, where the term is now more of a compliment denoting extraordinary skill. There is an increasing number of people who self-identify with the term, even when they don't fit the classic geek profile which emphasizes high intelligence but social isolation and loneliness as a result.

[JoshuaZ]

My college girlfriend had a shirt that said

I (heart) my geek.

And she did.

[rickey939]

I've heard it's all about the size of certain features.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by rickey939

I've heard it's all about the size of certain features.

The nose?

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by rickey939

I've heard it's all about the size of certain features.

No comment.

[gururafiki]

[Gossamer]

Take the test!

I was about 34% nerd & geek, and about 10% dork.

[Landos Mustache]

39 % Nerd, 73% Geek, 39% Dork

[gururafiki]

26 % Nerd, 17% Geek, 30% Dork

[JazzCatDRP]

According to the Tiger dictionary:

geek |gēk| noun informal 1 an unfashionable or socially inept person. • [with adj. ] a person with an eccentric devotion to a particular interest : a computer geek. 2 a carnival performer who does wild or disgusting acts.

nerd |nərd| noun informal a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious : one of those nerds who never asked a girl to dance. • an intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession : he single-handedly changed the Zero image of the computer nerd into one of savvy Hero.

[Ghoser777]

43 % Nerd, 30% Geek, 34% Dork

Dude... that's harsh.

[mindwaves]

82 % Nerd, 13% Geek, 60% Dork

[Landos Mustache]

Well I guess that confirms my suspicions considering I am 73% Geek according to that test.

Phew.

[smacintush]

Joe Normal

26 % Nerd, 13% Geek, 26% Dork

That's me. Mr. Uninteresting .

[Dork.]

This test is all wrong. It only pegged me at 56% Dork. Where did the other 44% go?

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by goMac

My girlfriend tends to think a nerd is just someone who is really smart, while a geek is someone who is really smart but anti-social and weird and that whole stereotype. [...] But according to her geek is the ugly anti social sort.

This is pretty close to how I have always seen it too. If find it kinda odd that some people now use geek and nerd the opposite way.

I've always thought a nerd was socially awkward, but a geek was an uber-nerd who constantly made a fool of himself. Neither was necessarily "smart," but a nerd was usually smart enough not to draw attention to himself.

I've never really believed that nerds/geeks = smart, while jocks = dumb. I knew many smart jocks and many stupid geeks/nerds in school.

I have always believed that dork = dumb, though.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

The word "geek" originates with side-show "circus geeks" — performers at carnivals who swallow various live animals and bugs (zoology). Sometimes this extends to biting off the heads of chickens.

What's really funny here is that the colorful tights'n'capes of super-heros also originates from the circus geeks. So the fact that collecting comic books is considered a geek hobby is a kind of "circle of life" thing, I guess.

[IceEnclosure]

hm.

21 % Nerd, 56% Geek, 8% Dork

[ghporter]

My experience is that "nerds" are less socially adept and more interested in non-technical stuff: D&D, fanatic SciFi groups, anime (without any redeeming features), etc., while "geeks" are more technically oriented and because they are, they're sought out by others for technical assistance, thus developing decent social skills.

I've been both. Geek is MUCH better! (And besides, all the good Cons went commercial and lost the fan roots...)

[Salty]

A geek is someone who's a little bit off but is still socially lovable. A nerd, probably has bad skin condition, and is self conscious, and you notice. A dork is the one who hasn't realized that nobody is listening to him talk.

A Geek will probably have a blog, a podcast, flickr account, etc
A Nerd will have a blog complaining about every screw up their favourite Sci FI show makes
A Dork will may have a blog, but there will be a lot of spinning gifs, and they probably haven't brushed their teeth recently.

I fit into the Geek bin. I have a few friends who are somewhere between geek and nerd, I don't know that I have any friends who are dorks. Maybe distantly friendly... honestly I don't run into many dorks these days.

That said Geeks can still be socially a bit weird. I worked with a bunch of geeks at Best Buy, most were at least a lil socially awkward, and some had some dorky qualities but they were still mostly geek.