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  From: lloy0076 <lloy0076@senet.com.au>
  To  : Jake Hawkes <jake@eclectic.com.au>
  Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 22:58:15 +0930

Re: Geek or Nerd?

GEEK (n) (slang)

Geek is generally used as a noun and unless you know the person who
called you it it's most likely derogatory. Nonetheless like many English
words it has multiple meanings. I shall list them objectively first then
make my own value-laden comments immediately afterwards.

1. A geek is a derogatory term used to describe someone of Asian origin

I have been called a geek many times. It helps that I was born in
Thailand. Were this to be printed in a respectable journal I would
consider taking the editor, journal and printers to the Human Rights and
Equal Opportunities Commission under the Anti-Discrimination Act. Whilst
in a computer world it is generally not considered so offensive, may
non-computer, generally heterosexual and lower-class people do actually
use the word.

2. A geek is a person who has an unusually detailed knowledge of a
particular subject or group of subjects; this usage is most often
applied to something in reference to computing and/or information
technology

Geek is a not a generic term. From a person who does not KNOW you, it
normally signifies a certain amount of jealousy, envy or can be used in
a derogatory sense - Australians have a wonderful sense of how to cut
down tall poppies. Exactly how one defines "unusually detailed" is up to
debate....it generally means someone who knows more than the average
population about computers in this sense - given that the average
population uses Microsoft Windows it's not hard to be a geek in this
sense if you get my drift.

Geek, in this sense, has less baggage (connotation) than `nerd'. It's
not as nasty, though not an entirely nice word either. 

NERD (n) 

This is almost ALWAYS derogatory. Its connotation is almost always
intentionally not nice. Again...the list


1) A nerd is an IDIOT

Strange, eccentric and generally stupid. A derogatory term used to
describe someone you don't like or want to piss off.

2) A nerd is someone who is like a geek (see definition 2 above) but
even more so

Same comments except this person is more likely to be obsessed with
whatever it is. It's a lot more derogatory than geek.

ANYWAY

I hope this helps. I'm Asian so I've been called ALL these names some
time in all their meanings...

DL.
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