This is Barbara’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

Maybe it’s just me, but I believe there are many differences between the expression and characteristics of a “Geek” and a “Nerd”. Obviously, the typical nerd does not compare to the status of a geek today – but what are they?

Have nerds just evolved over the past decade or have we merely accepted their existence? Has the “Revenge of the Nerds” era reached its burial grounds or have they simply diversified? Are the nerds emerging from the depths of “yuck” into the swans of the future – or were they always that way and we just didn’t see it? One thing’s for sure – they don’t look like they used to anymore, nor do they fit the personalities of what was once typical for a nerd (gross, disgusting, and in a field of their own).

I began to ponder these questions. I jotted down the obvious (characteristics, endeavors, etc.) and came up with an amusing acronym for both of them in order to do some clarification. Note that this isn’t in any way the true acronym, but in the name of the HP Magic Giveaway, please humor me a little:

A GEEK has {Great Expectations for Exceeding Keenness} and a NERD displays {Nothing Extraordinary Regarding Dynamics}.

Sounds simple enough, right? They’re both smart, but a “geek” exceeds the expectations of everyone and is eminent, while a nerd is anything but. The “nerd” lacks any sense of power between the two groups (geeks and nerds) and is anything but extraordinary.

Way back when, a nerd was an embarrassment to society, as they portrayed the typical “yuk” appearance and weren’t exactly the model citizen. Sure, they were smarter than the rest of us, but did anyone really want to be classified as such? I mean, really! They carried their pocket calculator and dressed in the distinctive plain white “button up” T and wore those wretched high water pants as if they were preparing for a major flood. Oh, and we mustn’t forget that horrible tape around their glamorous eye wear. They were such a mockery to the rest of us…

Then, something strange began to happen. The nerds were transitioning, like an alien invasion across the world. Suddenly, they were hidden among us. Nerds were evolving into something more, something acceptable. They became what we now know as the “GEEKS”. GEEKS were receiving followers from across the waters. They were a new world phenomenon – they could look great AND be smart. Now, rather than turning our heads with shame at them, we absorb what they have to say, we flock at their every whim, we trifle at their intelligence with awe and we go crazy with their appearances (sexy / hot).

So, the question is: what is a GEEK? What is a NERD? As a society, are we just jealous – because now, not only do they (the GEEKS) have the smarts, but they have acquired the looks of the “elite” as well? I mean, it’s not like they’ve altered the chemical balance of their being… right?

• White and Nerdy
• Are There Any Drawbacks to Being a Geek?
• At What Point did You Know You Were a Geek?
• Is Your Head – or Your Computer – in the Cloud?
• 10 Things to Do in Denmark
• Instant Internet Celebrities
• I Know What You Did Last Summer
• The Go-To Guy
• The Winds of Change
• Look at the Pirillo Pillow!

Yes, the music video has officially been placed on YouTube. I’d say that it’s Yankovic’s geekiest one yet (far better than “It’s All About The Pentiums”). Are you white and nerdy? Watch this:

• Weird Al: Straight Outta Lynwood
• What is a Geek? What is a Nerd?
• bLaugh is a Reader’s Choice
• Don’t Download This Album
• Are There Any Drawbacks to Being a Geek?
• At What Point did You Know You Were a Geek?
• Free Preview of New Weird Al Album
• Stop Emailing “Funny Stuff” to Me!
• I’m Pitiful
• Weird Al Yankovic Releases Free MP3