Computer Nerd......Oxymoron?

**...** · 01-21-2003

i have always defined nerd in my own mind as someone who is, while at the same time intelligent, also obnoxious about the knowlege that he feels makes him superior to those around him.

a similar word, geek, i define slightly differently: a person who is intelligent, usually unattractive, but, unlike nerds, is not obnoxious about their intelligence.

then there is dork. actually a slang word for 'penis,' i define a dork as a person who thinks he is intelligent but isnt, and is still obnoxious about it.

here is a simpler way to look at it:

Code:

                 intelligent  obnoxious
nerd               yes            yes
geek               yes            no 
dork                no            yes

these are just my own personal definitions, but feel free to use them as a guideline.

**Aran** · 01-21-2003

hmm...

reminds me of this girl i know (and used to go out with).. She calls herself a nerd all the time in a derrogitory sense, and it ........es me off to no end.

i find geeks to normally be female and nerds to normally be male, where as dorks are just those stupid kids who try and fit in, although they are too immature to do so.

**face_master** · 01-21-2003

im regulary called a nerd, but I dont look or sound like one, so they know if u are.

**-KEN-** · 01-21-2003

Originally posted by face_master
im regulary called a nerd, but I dont look or sound like one, so they know if u are.

Who're "they"? And maybe they call you one because of how you look?

**napkin111** · 01-21-2003

Gaahhh...I know exactly what you mean RoD. All the time I'm reading a programming book or talking with my friends at lunch about computers and people call me/us computer nerds! AAAAAHHHHHH!!! I have to tell people all the time "Its not nerd, its geek, computer geek." Sometimes girls can say that stuff as a way to start a conversation tho, but it sounds like she wasn't. A couple weeks ago I ordered 2 shirts from www.geekgarb.com . They have great stuff, I got the (computer) geek shirt and the NETizen one. I'm hoping this will help clear up the misunderstanding between geek/nerd.

As for you method man, I could rightfully be called a GEEK!
I can't stand being called a nerd!

//napKIN

**itld** · 01-21-2003

howdy,
let me get this straight
this blonde girl wants to talk to you, maybe get to know a bit about you or i guess what i'm saying she shows an interest in you. now you being totally involved with an OGL book get wrapped up in one single word she used and cant be polite for one second to say hi. so she get offended and walks off.
hummmm sounds like a lonely life.

M.R.

**adrianxw** · 01-22-2003

itld:

>>> this blonde girl wants to talk to you,

No,

this cute blonde girl wants to talk to you,

RoD:

Sorry mate, nerd by my meaning of the word!

**Govtcheez** · 01-22-2003

i have always defined nerd in my own mind as someone who is, while at the same time intelligent, also obnoxious about the knowlege that he feels makes him superior to those around him.

a similar word, geek, i define slightly differently: a person who is intelligent, usually unattractive, but, unlike nerds, is not obnoxious about their intelligence.

then there is dork. actually a slang word for 'penis,' i define a dork as a person who thinks he is intelligent but isnt, and is still obnoxious about it.

Right on the money.

ethic needs to post in this - he had it right.

Terrance11 · 01-22-2003

I'm always called a hacker, by a lot of people, and have been for a while.

I don't consider myself to be a nerd

So I like hacker more. I'm called a hacker because I'm always on a computer, but of course, maybe it's just people being nice and not calling me a nerd...

**Govtcheez** · 01-22-2003

I'm comfortable with "square"

**deathstryke** · 01-22-2003

This is why I try to fade out of existence when in public. Me being a six foot tub-o-lard with a serious video game addiction doesn't help any. That and the fact that I can't understand how anyone could have difficulties with math.

**GoodStuff** · 01-23-2003

I'm a nerd.

I'm a computer nerd. What's wrong with that ? Cute blonde girls who sneer at you should get phone calls to their daddy telling him about his little angel's love life. See how much she sneers after that, and enjoy instead the hunted and paranoid expression she develops. I think blonde girls who sneer at computer nerds suck.

Try instead cute blonde girls who smile nicely.

But that's just me. >

Gustav

**adrianxw** · 01-23-2003

I don't recall any reference to sneering in the original post. Indeed, the cute blonde girl may have been wondering how to get a conversation going with someone she maybe liked the look of, instead she got a oneliner put down. Charming.

**Polymorphic OOP** · 01-23-2003

I like "nerd." I think of it as more of an earned title than geek. It just seems to grant more prestige.

**RoD** · 01-23-2003

Originally posted by Terrance11
I'm always called a hacker, by a lot of people, and have been for a while.

I don't consider myself to be a nerd So I like hacker more. I'm called a hacker because I'm always on a computer, but of course, maybe it's just people being nice and not calling me a nerd...

We'll assume they're wrong :P