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Infographic: Geek vs Nerd explained

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By Daniel Petrov

Published: Jun 28, 2013, 2:31 AM

Burr Settles, who is an engineer covering statistical machine learning and other assorted nerdiness, decided to solve the old geek vs nerd conundrum by plotting the terms that correlate more with one of the states of mind than the other. The result is pretty spot-on, if you ask us, and the author explains his conclusions below. What do you think, does the graph get it about right?

In broad strokes, it seems to me that geeky words are more about stuff (e.g., “#stuff”), while nerdy words are more about ideas (e.g., “hypothesis”). Geeks are fans, and fans collect stuff; nerds are practitioners, and practitioners play with ideas. Of course, geeks can collect ideas and nerds play with stuff, too. Plus, they aren’t two distinct personalities as much as different aspects of personality. Generally, the data seem to affirm my thinking.

source: Burr Settles (Slackprop) via Gizmodo

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.