NBC has just unleashed the show "Average Joe" to the world. It's a concept where one beautiful girl, in this case a former cheerleader and Miss Missouri, gets to choose between 16 average-looking guys where in a normal situation, she would probably push them aside in search for a better-looking guy. This group of guys fit the profile of nice guys finishing last. Then like most dating shows, once you get to know someone, looks don't apply, it's personality that counts. It's funny to watch the girl go through that, but a little uncomfortable to watch since I could probably be on the show. It all reminded me of a chain email I got last month about geeks, the very people vying to win on the show. Don't know who wrote this, but by the miniscule chance the author stumbles upon this very site and wants credit where credit is due, say so.


What is a geek?

A geek, quite simply, is a man or woman who is too intelligent for their own good, who is sweet and funny, but slightly socially inept. They generally have a passion for sci-fi and/or fantasy novels, table top or live action gaming (think Dungeons and Dragons), and make obscure jokes. There is often a fascination with computers that comes in very handy for the non-geeks around them. They are often giving to the point of getting hurt, and don't understand that others may find them attractive.

Keep in mind that not all of these will fit a particular geek. There are computer geeks, humanities geeks, music geeks, comic book geeks, gamer geeks, etc. You need to figure out which one is which.

Computer geeks are pretty much just that. A finer distinction would be between the hardware and software geeks, the Linux geeks (watch out...Linux isn't so much an operating system as it is a religion for them), the Mac geeks, the Perl geeks, etc. If you want to understand a damn thing they're saying, you should either have a good baseline knowledge of computers or be willing to learn.

Humanities geeks are your literature geeks, history geeks, psychology geeks, etc. They know all sorts of esoteric facts and are surprised when you didn't know that. They're the people who know all the Jeopardy answers and there is often much crossover between the fields. Most lit people know a good deal of history and vice versa. They tend to have extensive libraries, and relate a little too closely to the character of Hermione in the Harry Potter books, especially when she looks around in exasperation and asks "Don't you people read?"

Music geeks are perhaps the most trendy of the geeks. They're the ones you see in places like used music stores, indie stores, and looking guilty when found in mainstream music stores. They usually can play several instruments and want you to listen to bands you've never heard of (along with the rest of the world).

Comic book geeks live and breathe comic books. Usually they stick to one or two comics (like X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, etc) but they know the entire storyline of that series going back years and years. On the other hand, most women can do that with soap operas. These geeks tend to have a silly side, and are very young at heart. You'll find yourself climbing a tree for the first time in years, or getting on a skateboard because it's "fun!"

Gamer geeks talk about games they've played like it actually happened. They usually refer to each other by their character names. This can be odd at first, but think of how often you do that online. Don't stress. These are very imaginative types. And again, they'll convince you to dress up or do something you'd never do because it's fun.

Most geeks are a mixture of the above. There's plenty of crossover. But they usually are one flavor predominantly with a little bit of this and that thrown in for flavor.

So what's the difference between a geek, a nerd, and a dork?

Several factors.

Geeks are slightly socially inept, but they either can conquer it or already have to a degree. Nerds can't and dorks won't. None will ever be the life of a party however. Geeks will find a few people to talk to, nerds will watch from the side of the room and dorks will go hide.

Geeks take care of themselves. They may forget to eat once and awhile, but they bathe regularly and try to smell and look good. They may have different standards of what style is, but they try. Nerds tend to dress like they're already in their 40's, both girls and guys. Dorks don't have a clue and are usually the ones with the pocket protector.

Geeks want to occasionally play in the mainstream, although they also enjoy a round of "freak out the mundanes." Nerds and dorks generally pride themselves on never doing so.

Geeks want to interact with the outside world and will make an effort. Nerds want to but don't know how. Dorks don't want to.