Nerd
From RationalWiki
(Redirected from Geek)
A nerd or geek is a person who is obsessively interested in a topic, usually with the implication of a lack of social skills.[1] Traditionally, this has meant science, technology, computers, speculative fiction (e.g. Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, etc.), superhero comics, Dungeons and Dragons, and other non-mainstream hobbies (many of which have since turned mainstream e.g. superhero movies). There used to be a strong social stigma against geeks, but cultural shifts of geek-pride and acceptance starting in the late 1990s has both removed much of the stigma while rendering the terms near-meaningless through increasingly-broad overuse.
It would be pretty safe to say there are several nerds here.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The secret origins of nerd, dork, and other things you've been called, io9
- Are 'geek' and 'nerd' now positive terms?, BBC
- xkcd on the "Can women be nerds?" debate (Basically, grow up.)
- xkcd on the difference between geeks and nerds
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Many of the geek stereotypes line up with symptoms of higher functioning autism spectrum disorder, an uncomfortable topic within geek circles.