People have been misinterpreting these terms for years. Even people who fall under one of these categories sometimes get wrong which one they actually are. Some people even toss these words around as if they are synonymous, which they are definitely not.

Out of the three terms most tossed around, everyone seems to agree about ‘dork’ being more negative. But if you check the many other meanings given in similar blogs and articles, ‘geek’ and ‘nerd’ are still confused depending on who is giving the definition.

Allow me to give my interpretation.
 

Geek

Actual Webster Dictionary Definition:

1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked
3 : an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity

Well, that’s all fine and dandy, Webster, but the more accepted definition these days of a ‘geek’ is a person with extreme love and knowledge of anime, comics, video games, technology, or maybe some combination of the above, and generally with a support network of like-minded friends.

I am a geek. Hence, the name of this blog.

For example—and since I am a geek, I can use myself here—my friends and I came up with a Zombie Apocalypse plan when we were in college. We actually mapped everything out, planned who would do what, who would be in what car, where we would go, what supplies we would need, everything. It was all in fun, shared amongst our little support network of other geeks, but there was a level of seriousness involved too. Just in case the Zombie Apocalypse ever happens, we have a plan.

This all stemmed from us being bad horror movie and zombie movie geeks, and should come as no surprise to someone who understands how geek minds work. We know where the line between reality and fantasy rests, but we like to pretend it’s not there on occasion. This is also why ‘geek’ is often associated with people who play Dungeons & Dragons.

And yes, we had a group who played D&D in college too. That’s what being a geek is all about.
 

Nerd

Now, what I read in many other people’s definitions usually left ‘geek’ only to represent techies, kind of like the Webster definition. They would then say that nerds were similar, but more socially awkward loners who only have a small or no support structure, and are therefore lesser in some way.

I completely disagree.

Actual Webster Dictionary Definition:

an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.

It seems Webster agrees with the masses, but I have always thought of nerds as being very intelligent, the brains that have other people ask them to tutor them in math. Yes, they might have some similar interests with geeks, and I am by no means saying that geeks can not be as smart as nerds, but nerds are the people who would rather study than take time off to play D&D with their friends or catch a movie on the weekend.

At first glance that may seem like I am agreeing with Webster, and I do agree that nerds seem to have a smaller support structure of like-minded friends because they can be loners more often than geeks, but that is not due to anything socially awkward about them, just a choice to praise intellect and think about their future.

One of my college friends from our geek network was actually quite a bit more of a nerd. Often on Friday and Saturday nights she was locked in her room preparing for a Physics test the next week—no joke, actually Physics—instead of taking a break with the rest of us to watch Star Trek: Nemesis or go see the midnight showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End in full pirate get-up.

Maybe she was just embarrassed, but I usually go with the theory that she was a nerd instead of a geek and didn’t see the point in wasting time she could spend making sure she always had a 4.0.
 

Dork

But again, here is where most people come together in their understanding of the definition.

Actual Webster Dictionary Definition:

1. a person who is stupid, socially inept, or ridiculous; – always used disparagingly.
2. the penis.

The humor of definition #2 aside, it seems to be agreed by all that being a dork is a bad thing. Dorks can be geeks, they can be nerds, but for whatever reason they are inept to social norms no matter how smart they may be.

A dork has little to no support network and may not be able to distinguish fantasy from reality the way the other groups can. Why this is may be from a number of sources. Maybe they couldn’t find like-minds when they were younger and didn’t socialize as much when other children were making their first friends. Maybe they have a few interests that even geeks and nerds around them find odd. Maybe they just try too hard.

I have known many dorks in my time. It’s my own fault, really. When I see someone who doesn’t have many friends, is shy and cloistered away from everyone else, and seems a bit geeky, I take action. I make friends.

Really, I’m too nice sometimes. Because while this has worked out in my favor sometimes, it has also been the bane of my existence.

In middle and high school there was a dork I befriended who took my action as a sign of true love, apparently. Many of you may recognize this as typical dork behavior—they cling too tightly when they finally get a taste of that social network they are lacking.

When I finally had to tell this boy that it wasn’t going to happen, he latched onto a friend of mine who he stalked and obsessed over even more than me.

In college I met that boy’s older but still very dorky counterpart. It was basically the same boy and situation all over again, only years later and with a different name. I made the mistake of being nice and talking to him and he latched on. To me and our group. He wouldn’t have been so bad, since we did have many of the same interests, if only he knew when to stop talking, when it was time to leave, when it wasn’t appropriate to chime in, any social cues.

Thankfully, except for one moment of panic in a Gamestop, I have not seen this boy since graduation.

Dorks is a difficult subject to deal with, because I do not think we should shun these people, but they do need to learn to get over some of that social awkwardness or they will only annoy and discourage others from becoming and remaining their friends. I am not so ingenious that I have a solution for this problem, however.
 

Conclusion

As you can see, my definitions place geek and nerd on equal footing, which most definitions don’t. I don’t think it should be looked down upon that nerds sometimes prefer some alone time to work out quantum physics any more than I think a group of geeks spending all day playing D&D should be seen as unproductive.

And I don’t mean to completely point a negative finger at dorks here. Negative seems to follow the term all on its own. We all know people out there who are proud to be called ‘nerd’ or ‘geek’, but I have yet to meet someone who wanted to be called a ‘dork’.

Some further examples.

I highly recommend both the movie Fanboys and a slightly more amateur film, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, as examples of geekiness. Yes, I see that the second film there uses the term ‘dork’ in its title, but that’s just misinterpretation again. Trust me, the characters are geeks—it’s all about playing D&D.

Nerds can be found blatantly and rightly named in the classic Revenge of the Nerds series. They got their titles right in that case—definitely nerds.

If you remember the movie Can’t Hardly Wait, my favorite high school movie of all time, if only to see so many familiar faces, there are three boys that are without a doubt nerds. Remember the kid from Dick Tracy and Hook? He’s older in Can’t Hardly Wait, playing Valedictorian and lead nerd. They have some very geeky qualities, but I think the difference speaks for itself in the film.

Dorks are harder to find in movies, because they aren’t seen in a positive light. There isn’t going to be a film about actual dorks, because they would all be living separate awkward lives. I did, however, recently see an example of a very lovable dork character in The Hangover.

Zach Galifianakis plays the character Alan in this film who just does things half the time that make you shake your head and avert your eyes. He is not a geek or a nerd, he is a socially awkward anomaly that you feel sorry for and end up wanting to befriend because there is something almost adorable about being that inept.

Well, at least in the movies.

If you fall under one of these terms, and many people do, chances are you know exactly which one. Maybe you feel you fall under more than one. It’s possible. Some people may be geeks but act like dorks once in a while. And nerds can get brought out of their alone time to join their friends and be a little more geeky once in a while too.

As for me, I am a geek. And believe me, friends, of that I am very proud.

Friday brings a special blog to the table again, honoring one of my most loved and at the same time hated creators. Join me for “Remembering Joss Whedon”, a look back at his many wonderful works as we await the return of his newest venture, Dollhouse.

Thanks for tuning in.

Images taken from:
http://www.squishedfrog.com/mtblog/archives/commentary_crap/
http://www.geekologie.com/2007/12/02-week/
http://www.xpogames.com/groups/I%20am%20a%20Nerd!
http://moshland.com/?page_id=9&nggpage=2
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.gawker.com/assets/stills/fanboytoys_io9.flv.jpg&
http://io9.com/5334499/the-greatest-nerdware-wed-steal-from-our-favorite-fans
http://watchingdollhouse.com/whedons-angels-dollhouse-swag/

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