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

This pretty much sums up my view on the subject.

http://jameslewis.com/blx/?p=116

The money quote:
“Geeks and nerds can fix your PC, but nerds don’t realise you don’t care how they did it.”

johnpowell’s words are awsome and maybe quite right :D and so whitch one of the words do you think is similar with stupid?:)

As for dork, it’s a term used to describe someone who has unusual interests and is, at times, silly or stupid. A dork can also refer to someone who acts on his own motives without caring about his peers’ opinions and or acting totally retarded.The term occasionally implies stupidity, though perhaps less often than it once did, and it can paradoxically imply an unadmirable (bookish, academic) intelligence, much like the terms “nerd” and “geek.”

Dork: idiotic, stupid.
Nerd: cares too much about technology.
Geek: synonym of nerd.

These vary considerably in different areas: all three are insulting, but exactly how insulting and whether it’s insulting in a friendly way vary by region.

I find them all insulting; anyone who calls me any of them doesn’t really know me very well.

To me I find both dork and nerd (less-so) derogatory, whereas geek is something I will proudly flaunt! But as long as the person calling me such names is doing so in jest, I don’t really care that much.

“Acting totally retarded” is offensive, as it implies a person who has a mental disability is “stupid,” rather than perhaps completely normal or above average for a person with that condition. It’s just as offensive as using “gay” to denote silly or stupid.

Not to imply I’m perfect. Today I forgot who I was talking too and told one of my students who is legally blind, “just look at the board.” Oops.

[moderation] flame-off.

Thank you, Andrew. The thought of other people reading that was making me sick.

okay i say: dorks are not smart and antisocial, nerds are wannabes (striving geeks), and geeks are experts at whatever they do, and usually sacrifice their appearance in the process. haha

Nerds: seek knowledge/academics at the expense of other things
Geeks: extremely devoted to something, especially if it is unique or obscure (band geeks, star wars geeks, etc.)
Dorks: socially awkward

Where does “hoser” fit in, do you think?

Nerds: book smart
Dork: unpopular, stupid
Geek: computer whiz