Do you consider yourself a nerd or a geek?

[jamoecw]

how come nobody seems to notice the word academic in the definition of nerd?

nerds are socially inept (not necessarily absent) intellectuals that favor structure.

geeks are socially inept (not necessarily absent) intellectuals that don't favor structure.

dorks are socially inept (not necessarily absent) with roughly average intelligence.

i have always seen it this way, and have yet encountered enough substantiating evidence to the contrary.

[MileHighGeekGuy]

That is the point of this thread, to see if you are socially inept without structure or with structure, but saying "nerd or geek?" is easier.

[FutureAstronaut]

Hmm...

My favorite definitions:
Nerd- Socially inept with above-average intelligence and academic knowledge.
Geek- Socially inept with above-average knowledge in one or two specific areas (as in computer geek, band geek, theater geek, etc.)

Dork- Socially inept with average intelligence.

By these definitions, I would say I am both. I do well academically, love math and science, and am a computer geek+Trekkie+++....
So idk.

[ATP]

By the definition that nerds basically learn about everything specifically and geeks learn about specific things specifically, then I consider myself a nerd. I'm not socially innept (unless I'm so innept I don't even notice). I am more knowledgable in one or two areas than others (I'm trying to even that out a little more).

[MileHighGeekGuy]

I believe I would fit into the category of nerd then...... But according to jamoecw I fall into the category of geek, but also, the way I do not have structure is actually just because nobody can see the structure I have, because I don't have any structure similar to the stereotyped meaning of structure. It is more of an ordered, but in my opinion, extremely efficient madness.

[ATP]

Also, you aren't so socially adept, which fits into Geekdom. However, I'm surprised when you DON'T know something, so... in that way (I'm probably getting my definitions mixed up) you are a nerd...

[MileHighGeekGuy]

social aptitude does not fit into any of the categories discussed in this thread. So that remains irrelevant if you are discussing between cases. Much like in calculus where the constant is removed to find the relative positions of two variables.

[ATP]

Listen... Adept is the opposite of innept... I was talking about the first definition by the author of this thread!

[MileHighGeekGuy]

Ah ok, I had not read that I simply(and dumbly) jumped to the last page of the thread. I would say that I fit into the category of geek by his definiton very well, except that I dont like to think that I am conceited and arrogant(although I very well could be, because, naturally my judgment is naturally clouded by the fact that I am me and I am also talking about me.)

[jamoecw]

by my definition, the best way to find out if you are one or the other is simply to ask yourself if you'd like your science project graded. geeks wouldn't care since when they finish doing the project it is done, while a nerd would want it graded since that would be the purpose of the project. geeks do things to do them, nerds to do something.

in my experience both sides consider the other conceited. nerds find geeks conceited becuase they declare themselves smart, while geeks consider nerds conceited becuase things must fit into established definitions.

"By the definition that nerds basically learn about everything specifically and geeks learn about specific things specifically, then I consider myself a nerd. I'm not socially innept (unless I'm so innept I don't even notice). I am more knowledgable in one or two areas than others (I'm trying to even that out a little more)."
that definition is ultimately the deference between scientist and engineer, thus i would use a different definition for nerd and geek, although their is quite a bit of thruth in that, as geeks tend to be good scientists, becuase they think "outside the box" in order to learn new things. while a nerd tends to pick up lots of information in a broad area since it they look at the end result more than the journey.

[FutureAstronaut]

Wow. I guess there is no set-in-stone definition, and with all the different definitons, I think everyone here is both a nerd and a geek by one of the posted definitons. That makes it really hard to vote.

[MileHighGeekGuy]

THAT is why I built a random number generator to decide what I would vote.

[welshnerd]

If there is such a debate why doen't this website become www.nerdorkeegtests.com?

[MileHighGeekGuy]

LOL just type in geektests.com into your URL bar and you will see the answer to this whole question.

[Sipidy]

Id say geek i am the smartest person in my class and kinda don't have much friends probably cause my appearance.