What are the essential elements of being a geek?

Do geeks ask geeky questions?

[Webwork]

Today, in another thread about domain names, UKGimp asserted that geeks don't type-in keyword domains.

I felt . . . unsettled, thinking "I type in domains, does that mean I'm not a geek?"

Then I thought "Only a geek would worry about that, so you must be a geek."

Now, as a child, I was called "the brain", wore glasses starting in 4th grade, was described as thoughtful by my teachers, and so on. On the other hand, I did play varsity basketball in high school, but to balance that I was in the marching band during football season.

I also married the first girl I ever kissed.

I could go on, but prefer to pause to ask:

What makes a geek a geek? Is geekiness no longer relevant, a badge of honor? Has it become a mass commodity?

Do you consider yourself qualified for the label? What are your qualifications?

Lastly, is geek still chic?

OBTW - If you're a nerd you can play along, so long as you explain the important distinctions between being a nerd and being a geek - in your own terms. I mean, don't do something geekly like Googling "geek vs. nerd" and report on your findings.

[Teknorat]

No! A nerd is someone with extraordinary knowledge on subjects that no one cares about. A Geek is someone with extraordinary knowledge in the world of computers. A geek is cool because he:
- Can Fix your PC
- Hack you
- Tell you what others passwords are
- Will likely get rich

A nerd may have no interest in PC's whatsoever (although there are some geeky nerds.) A nerd is not cool because he:
- Doesn't believe in showers
- Thinks he was put on earth to play D&D
- Believes human interaction is no substitute for his interests

[Skylo]

Are you a closet geek, if all your friends don't know a thing about computers and when there is a new feature for your computer you can't rave about it to your friends so you startup firefox and come here? Are you a super geek when you can also recite every quality Simpsons quote there ever was?

If so, I am a geek? I think?

[mivox]

Yes Skylo. You'd definitely qualify as a geek by my standards. :)

[HelenDev]

Yes, I think that geek has a definite amount of coolness attached to it. I happily sometimes refer to myself as a geek, but if someone called me a nerd I'd be really insulted. I'm sure that nerds are less physically attractive than geeks too.

You define the four food groups as Dorritos, Cheetos, Coffee, and Pizza

Am I also correct in thinking that the 'computer geek' in particular, has a special fondness for all spicy asian food too, according to popular urban myth?

[chrisnrae]

LMAO, great thread.

"'The Glaze'"

Oh yea, I think that anytime you can either induce an immediate glaze or talk for 20 minutes without a single other person understanding you, you are a geek in said field.

"a "computer geek" is someone who spends too much time on the computer and has no social life."

LMAO - I have a little bit more than "no social life" but yea, by that definition, I am a computer geek.

Also, if you've shopped at ThinkGeek, you are most definitely a geek.

[Teknorat]

Yes nerds are less physically attractive but I wasn't going to say that. :P Geeks do seem to enjoy Asian food, and caffeine.

[grelmar]

mmmmmm.....

vietnamese coffee

[mivox]

Mmm. Latte for breakfast, sushi for lunch...

[limbo]

.....and roast beef, gravy and yorkshire pudding for dinner, MMMnnnnnnnn.

[mivox]

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding counts as a geeky meal? Hooray! :)

[deejay]

I'd be absolutely mortified if anyone referred to me as a nerd!

Geek on the other hand, I've adopted quite happily. At work I don't have a specific title and I'm an IT jack of all trades, so I have dubbed myself 'Resident Geek'. It's stuck. The rest of the team introduce me as that informally. Of course for more formal introductions it's IT Specialist.

hmmm... reminds me... must check how well .geek.nz has taken off. (now THAT is one idea I didn't like - interesting to see how well it's been accepted).

[phidentity]

Ok, then what the hell is a 'dork'?

[HelenDev]

Ok, then what the hell is a 'dork'?

I think a dork is less intelligent than a nerd. A nerd might be a bit of a boffin, but a dork is just a bit of a loser. And no girls like them.

[MatthewHSE]

After reading this thread, I've decided I'm kind of a geek-in-training. I've worked up through the Dork and Nerd stages, but have not yet attained full Geek status.

[grelmar]

Geek in Training...

Would that be a GIT? ;)

[mivox]

Maybe someone should start offering GIT certification... heheheh

[Teknorat]

Ok, then what the hell is a 'dork'?

LMAO oh man that made my day. I'd love to tell you what a dork is but it would probably break the TOS.

[sidyadav]

The Simpsons: If you're Milhouse, you're a geek. If you're Bart, you're a troublemaker. If you're Lisa, you're a nerd. ;)

At the same time, would the people who wear glasses, have braces, and freckles, be considered as a nerd or a geek? Or is it dork?

I think the classification depends on your social skills, overall. Because if you look at it, people who have no knowledge at all are considered "dumb" (or an "idiot"). But people who have a lot of knowledge are considered a "nerd" (or "geek"). However, if you have intermediate knowledge and your social skills rock, you're considered "cool". I know from experience. ;)

Sid

[mivox]

At the same time, would the people who wear glasses, have braces, and freckles, be considered as a nerd or a geek? Or is it dork?

I think they'd be considered genetically unlucky. ;)

[TheDoctor]

Freckles are sexy.

[Macguru]

>>Freckles are sexy.

I find them sexy too, but only on girls... guys with freckles are 'genetically unlucky'.