6 ms·
Don't confuse 'nerds' with 'geeks'.
by Qz 17y ago
Don't confuse 'nerds' with 'geeks'.
- scott_s 17y agoI find the quibbling over nerds versus geeks or whatever other term one wants to use silly. You may subscribe to that distinction, but most people don't - which makes it hard to communicate meaningfully with those terms.
- Qz 17y agoIt is silly, and I wasn't being entirely serious...
- sophacles 17y agoYeah, this is why I never distinguish between jocks and musicians and other forms of "popular kids", quibbling over terms is pointless.
- endtime 17y agoWhatever your favored labeling, the distinction is valid. If people in general don't distinguish between "nerds" and "geeks", then people in general are suffering from a misconception, and encouraging usage of two distinct terms is surely a good way to combat that misconception. No?
- scott_s 17y agoI don't agree. Many people who use the labels on themselves and their friends have conflicting definitions. Further, I see the distinction as a false one. It boils down to "people within my subgroup that I like" and "people within my subgroup that I don't like."
- endtime 17y agoThat's not the distinction at all. The distinction is between antisocial people who like sci-fi and fantasy and smart, somewhat obsessive people who like technology. The groups are not disjoint, but they're by no means the same group.
- scott_s 17y agoThose aren't the definitions I've heard other people use. And since you've characterized one group as "antisocial," I think you've labeled one of the groups as "people I don't like."
- endtime 17y agoSorry, antisocial was too strong a word. What I meant was something more like "socially awkward".
- njharman 17y agobut which label goes with which group, I've heard many, many. And no one has mentioned dork, dweeb, or other terms used to belittle the not popular. I know several definitions for geek Geeks people who bite the heads off of chickens and other circus freaks. Geeks people who are really into some niche such as game geeks, or mathgeeks. Geeks socially awkward losers. The definitions of geek and nerd are location and temporally dependent. That means if you grew up in KS during the 80's your definitions are far different than if you grew up in San Jose in the 90's.
- shadowsun7 17y agoI find this Venn diagram useful, as a rough definition: http://azahar.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/nerd-venn-diagram.jpg http://azahar.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/nerd-venn-diagram....