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Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Insightful)
Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks (Score:5, Insightful)
First, the subculture. Generally at some point in development, some individuals find themselves somewhat outcast from the group. These individuals often value things that aren't necessarily valued by the mainstream, things like knowledge for its own sake, or some cultural media that aren't necessarily accepted. These individuals often find themselves awkward in the beginning with those accepted by the mainstream. There are three major varieties in this subculture, the Geek, the Nerd, and the Dork. While disproportionately male, there are female members of the group, though for the purposes of this discussion the masculine will be used in describing them.
The Nerd is the most common member of the group. He is technically intelligent and frequently likes cultural media that are not popular in the mainstream. He may have some issues with wardrobe or hygiene, possibly explaining his membership in this group in the first place. If the Nerd attends a mainstream function like a party, his is generally less comfortable in the situation. He does not have a lot of mainstream topics to talk about, and the same issues that he experienced putting him into this subculture will apply in this setting.
The Geek is the pinnacle of the group. The Geek starts out as a Nerd in the fashion that most start out, but over time grows. Geeks have technical acumen, interests in many of the non-mainstream cultural aspects that Nerds have, but have grown out of being Nerds in that they have knowledge and interests beyond the subculture. They have generally sorted out their wardrobe and hygiene, and at the same party will be able to communicate with others in the mainstream without difficulty. The Geek may even be accepted by the mainstream again, but given his experiences in being marginalized to begin with will remember and usually won't fully embrace the mainstream.
The Dork is the lowest member of the subculture. The Dork is the Me-tooer, the AOLer, of the group, having the worst characteristics without having the redeeming ones. Dorks generally lack technical acumen, and when they embrace cultural aspects either only have superficial knowledge or else have incredibly detailed knowledge about a such a narrow topic that they still have difficulty. As negatives, Dorks have the hygiene issues of the Nerd. In the same party above, the Dork will only be comfortable with the Nerd and the Geek, but the Nerd and the Geek will tire of the Dork before too long, given his lack of technical ability or interesting knowledge. While it's possible for Dorks to emerge into Nerds, it's less likely than Nerds progressing into Geeks.
The almost-not-worth-mentioning category are those that are part of the maintream but fallaciously refer to themselves as Nerds or Geeks. Popular people that wax poetic about Apple products, saying, "I'm such a nerd/geek!" cause real Nerds and Geeks to cringe when they hear it. They are not accepting of the pretty person because the pretty person did not go through the issues that they had to deal with, and is thus nondeserving of the label; however negative it may have been, it was at least earned.
By the way, I identify as a Geek. I experienced my own issues in junior high and high school and embraced the subculture. I BBSed, used Fidonet, migrated to Usenet and IRC, and played in highly technical circles, with computers, electronics, ham radio, and the like. Eventually I widened out to auto restoration, dance, and other mainstream hobbies that give me something to talk about with non-Geeks and non-Nerds. I know that I can rely on my abilities when I need them, but I do not feel the need to always pursue things for their own sakes. I do not look down upon those who do, because I once was like that. I do value knowledge for its own sake, though I understand that I may be pushing harder and harder for knowledge that won't serve a purpose, and I may choose to spend my time another way.
Re:Venn Diagram (Score:4, Insightful)
Those who compose web sites like that aren't nerdy enough to know the difference between antisocial and asocial, and why it matters.
Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How to tell the difference (Score:5, Insightful)
I totally agree. Apple-heads have co-opted the geek label. Time to disassociate myself with that term.
It used to be a geek knew how to do things. Now the iDiots think that talking about something and moving your finger of the overly-hyped touch screen on their iThing makes them some sort of expert. Their greatest skill is propping up Apple's bank accounts by repeatedly buying overpriced products.
Re:How to tell the difference (Score:3, Insightful)
I prefer this one: http://xkcd.com/747/ [xkcd.com]
Re:How to tell the difference (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure a geek can have a use for guns. Because guns are amazing hobby tools, not just something for "busting a cap." Go to a shooting competition sometime, and watch those bastards haul around hundreds of pounds of equipment, on which they have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars tuning and modding and unmodding and remodding, just to make a little metal target flip down.
THAT is geekdom.
(Just don't share that with most of them, or you might get shot)
Ahh In Unix times (Score:4, Insightful)
No self respecting guru would accept anything less than being a
Wizard
Only Wizards know how to reach out and grep someone !
Re:My argument why I am not a nerd (Score:4, Insightful)
You are neither, move along.