I started a little firestorm over the weekend when one of my friends called me a Nerd. She did not say being a Nerd was a bad thing, she was just pointing out the obvious. Me being me I posted on Face Book that I was Nerd and Proud of it, and requested for all other Nerds to stand up and be recognized. This led to comments coming in faster then I could reply to them. That current status now has 33 comments, and I am sure that number will grow. What I found interesting about the comment was who was commenting. Yes there were a few obvious friends who eagerly jumped at the chance to be recognized as a Nerd, but there were a few people that made comments that I would have never thought of as a Nerd.

“Stops analyzing how much more efficient the star ship enterprise would be if lt.commander data were the capt. instead of picard and puts pen back in pocket protector of her short-sleeved button down shirt. I’m here!!!!”

This particular comment came from an old High School friend of mine. I was stunned when she made this comment because I never for one minute that she would have liked anything sci/fi. I now stand corrected.

This status on Face Book led to an intense philosophical discussion about who is and is not a geek, prompting a few skittish people to ask “Am I a geek?” in quivering, fearful tones.

Since I have embraced the fact that I am a Nerd, and am willing to talk about it openly I am surprised at how many times I have had someone come up to me and say something along the following lines…

“I have a level-62 Paladin on Twisting Nether.”
“I went to a Con years ago, and had a really good time”
“The Enterprise could totally take out an Imperial Cruiser”

Sometimes I receive these comments from other proud Nerds, and other times I receive these from people who say almost with a hint of shame.

Its clear the Nerds come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so my question is….What does it mean to be a Nerd? Post your comments and I will post them on my main site.