You're right, this isn't a democracy

I can't believe more people think Nerd over Geek. This is disgraceful and I must now pull out the big guns to prove my point. A quick meta analysis of studies on the topic proves my thesis: A Nerd is a Geek who can't get laid.

Like any other rapidly researched rant, let me begin in the style of "Webster's defines X as..."

The Jargon Lexicon includes this in its definition of geek:

Originally, a geek was a carnival performer who bit the heads off chickens. (In early 20th-century Scotland a ‘geek’ was an immature coley, a type of fish.) Before about 1990 usage of this term was rather negative. Earlier versions of this lexicon defined a computer geek as one who eats (computer) bugs for a living — an asocial, malodorous, pasty-faced monomaniac with all the personality of a cheese grater. This is often still the way geeks are regarded by non-geeks, but as the mainstream culture becomes more dependent on technology and technical skill mainstream attitudes have tended to shift towards grudging respect. Correspondingly, there are now ‘geek pride’ festivals (the implied reference to ‘gay pride’ is not accidental).

While a nerd is defined thusly:
1. [mainstream slang] Pejorative applied to anyone with an above-average IQ and few gifts at small talk and ordinary social rituals.
(emphasis mine)

Delving further into the topic using the official repository of the sum-total of human knowledge it is plain to see that anyone who votes nerd is clearly a dork.

The discussion here concludes that nerds take their geekiness to such an extreme that they lose all social skills. The conclusion: nerds wear pocket protectors; geeks have friends (best line:a geek is a nerd with social skills. A geek is a nerd who knows more than three people. A geek is a nerd who can hold is own liquor).

In this debate, they maintain the idea that a nerd is a geek with possibly more skill in the field but again, no social graces. They also add the concept of a dork, which is purely derogative -- more of a wannabe geek/nerd. The general idea here is that a dork tries too hard to be either a geek or a nerd but just lacks the brainpower. Nerds try to move beyond their nerdiness to escape or elevate their field, but are held back -- perhaps as a result of too much focus on the field or just desire to not associate with anyone outside the field. Geekdom implies some pride in the status. Because they accept and relish the label, they tend not worry about being called geeks and are more successful. This is perhaps because Geek has become the new cool while nerd is still seen as somewhat derogatory.

Another discussion here expands on a geek's contentedness with her status as a geek while nerds aspire -- unsuccessfully usually due to the afore mentioned lack of social skills -- to become something other than a nerd (out of desire to finally have sex?).

One interesting point is the ability to simultaneously be a geek, a nerd and a dork in different fields. For example: I am a computer geek, a Canadian Football nerd and a car dork.

A good lexicographer will allow common usage to define a term rather than imposing an uncomfortable definition on the public. This analysis shows that common usage points to a geek's social superiority over a nerd. Obviously, without a major credit card, social skills are required to get laid. A geek can potentially possess these skills but a nerd, by definition, cannot.

As for which category this post puts me into -- I'll leave that one up to the judges