Nerdiness in your daily life. Are you "out"?

[Drakken]

Am I the only one getting a feeling that whenever Drakken goes uber-macho on us, he's seriously over-compensating for something?

So, I don't agree on "nerd" being a good thing or a positive attribute. So what?

Present me arguments on why being a nerd is a quality or a positive thing for an individual being so, and we'll debate.

[Malthus]

Just like gay is a derogatory term, right?

Strawman. Are you really equating social awkwardness and/or ineptitude with sexual identity, as if it was something people were born with?

Gays are born gay, nerds remain nerds because they choose to. There is something linked to sexual behavior in nerdiness, though: the longer you remain one, your chances of dying alone, virgin and childless increase exponentially.

This "nerd pride" bullshit is getting on my nerves. What's so attractive in remaining social outcasts debating on comics or Star Wars all day long, what's the mystique in it?

You are posting on a chat board whose members consist of outcasts from a Swedish history-based gaming site. And you are one of them.

[Drakken]

Of course it's getting on your nerves. Nerds always get on Jocks nerves. I'm sorry that all my social activity aren't trying to get laid with as many girls as possible.

Ah, the old "either/or" "nerd/jock" binary definition. Not out of high school, yet?

Being a former nerd myself, I have grounds to argue that nerd is a wholly negative attitude of self-defeat.

[The Larch]

Just like gay is a derogatory term, right?

Strawman. Are you really equating social awkwardness and/or ineptitude with sexual identity, as if it was something people were born with?

Gays are born gay, nerds remain nerds because they choose to. There is something linked to sexual behavior in nerdiness, though: the longer you remain one, your chances of dying alone, virgin and childless increase exponentially.

This "nerd pride" bullshit is getting on my nerves. What's so attractive in remaining social outcasts debating on comics or Star Wars all day long, what's the mystique in it?

You are posting on a chat board whose members consist of outcasts from a Swedish history-based gaming site. And you are one of them.

He is a mod there, to boot. 

[LaCroix]

Again, strawman. Are you equating nerdiness to an illness or a status based on defaults in development, either physical or mental?

no? reread what i said, and what it was in reference to

[Drakken]

You are posting on a chat board whose members consist of outcasts from a Swedish history-based gaming site. And you are one of them.

Doesn't equate that all here are nerds, correlation doesn't equal causation. Again, the fallacy of equating the pursue of activities defined as "nerdy" as being a nerd.

Here is the Webster's definition of a nerd. What comes on first?

Definition of NERD

: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits <computer nerds>

[The Larch]

Anyway, this is my fucking poll and I don't want it derailed with the nth debate about semantics. For the purpose of the poll what I mean are the activities themselves, I don't want to enter into anybody's personalities.

[DGuller]

Am I the only one getting a feeling that whenever Drakken goes uber-macho on us, he's seriously over-compensating for something?

So, I don't agree on "nerd" being a good thing or a positive attribute. So what?

Present me arguments on why being a nerd is a quality or a positive thing for an individual being so, and we'll debate.

It's not so much what you're saying as it is how you're saying it.  Your act seems to be too tough to not be false.

[LaCroix]

Here is the Webster's definition of a nerd. What comes on first?

Definition of NERD

: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits <computer nerds>

this really isn't helping your earlier claim that the "socially awkward" choose their fates, and thus deserve what they have coming to them

[Caliga]

Anyway, this is my fucking poll and I don't want it derailed

You probably picked the wrong forum to post it on, then.

[Eddie Teach]

I always thought of "nerd" as connoting a bookish academic sort and "geek" as being somebody into sci fi, fantasy, comics, etc. Considering Larch and Drakken's definitions differ from that, and from each other, it's not clear that there's any particular distinction between the two that has reached a critical mass. The words are in flux and can both be used as synonyms for a socially awkward person, but anything beyond that is likely to be misconstrued.

Edit- apparently Webster agrees with me though.

[The Larch]

Anyway, this is my fucking poll and I don't want it derailed

You probably picked the wrong forum to post it on, then.

I don't mind if it's derailed in a good way. A pointless debate about semantics is not what I'd consider a good way. 

[LaCroix]

does drakken know psychology, or only pseudo-seductologies? 

[Malthus]

You are posting on a chat board whose members consist of outcasts from a Swedish history-based gaming site. And you are one of them.

Doesn't equate that all here are nerds, correlation doesn't equal causation. Again, the fallacy of equating the pursue of activities defined as "nerdy" as being a nerd.

Here is the Webster's definition of a nerd.

Definition of NERD

: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits <computer nerds>

Yeah, but I think it is you who have it backwards - you are equating certain pursuits with being "unattractive and socially inept" - such as debating about comic books or star wars or whatever. You've swallowed the stereotype.

Me, I'm totally open about my interests - many of which are stereotypically those of the classic "nerd" of legend - but I do not feel myself to be unattractive and socially inept. For one, I've never lacked for female companionship. 

[Drakken]

It's not so much what you're saying as it is how you're saying it.  Your act seems to be too tough to not be false.

It's like Ed Anger said: the older I get, the more intolerant I become. It's less "toughness" than utter contempt for those people who remain nerds well passed their adulthood threshold and present it as a badge of pride and honor, rather than grow out of it.