You might be a NERD if you…

1. know the difference between binary and integer numbers.

2. used 2 or more of the following words within a single conversation: pointers, stacks, superset, iteration, recursion, refactoring, scope, orthagonality, or idempotency.

3. played a video game for more than 4 consecutive hours.

4. called in “sick” so you could enjoy a new computer/upgrade/game/movie.

5. used a pair of dice with less than 6 sides.

6. used a pair of dice with more than 6 sides.

7. prefer to be in a room alone so you can spend time with “friends” online.

8. spent hours optimizing your computer in an effort to improve performance by a few seconds.

9. have a strong opinion about whether Intel or AMD make better processors.

10. have a strong love (or hate) for Apple computing products.

11. installed and/or used a GNU/Linux operating system.

12. engaged in a spirited discussion (perhaps even argued) over Richard Stallman.

13. know more about electronics, networking, and software than you know about your bicycle or car.

14. struggle talking to others about anything outside of technology, movies, or games.

15. read more than 4 volumes in a series of fantasy or science-fiction novels.

16. know more about fantasy or sci-fi characters than members of your family.

17. built, repaired, or upgraded your computer (or someone else’s) for free.

18. modified electronics or software (especially to use it in ways it was not intended for).

19. know more than the first 2 numbers after the decimal point in Pi (without looking).

20. engaged in a conversation via text message for more than 15 minutes with someone in the same room.

21. spent more than 2 hours in a public location only to use free wireless Internet access.

22. read the book(s) a movie is based on prior to seeing the movie.

23. criticized a movie because it deviated from the book it was based on.

24. waited in line for a midnight launch of a new book/game/movie or electronic device.

25. left your house in a costume on a day other than Halloween.

26. recite more than 10 elements on the periodic table (wihtout looking).

27. use the periodic table of elements outside of a classroom.

28. solve math problems that involve numbers and letters outside of a classroom.

29. receive calls from family and friends only when their devices/software stop working properly.

30. spent more on hardware/software/games than you spent maintaining your car in the past year.

31. prefer using popular Internet sites for medical information instead of visiting an actual doctor.

32. wear t-shirts featuring cartoons from your childhood or computer/Internet/game references which required explanation more than once.

33. watched more than 10 episodes of any anime series within 24 hours.

34. read more than 12 comic books in your lifetime.

35. collect anything related to fantasy or sci-fi movies or TV shows.

36. corrected someone on the Internet for having a “wrong” opinion.

37. someone on the Internet attempted to “correct” your opinion.

38. know who and what Voltron is and why it’s superior in every way to The Power Rangers, et al.

39. added entries to the spell-check function on your computer because the words you used were not in the dictionary (yet).

40. participated in an MMOG with friends and strangers for hours at a time.

41. know what an MMOG is and can differentiate between it and other genres of games.

42. borrowed private wireless Internet access without permission.

43. used a peer-to-peer network to locate and obtain something you didn’t pay for.

44. had someone walk up to you in an electronics or computer store and ask for help.

45. know the difference between Alpha and Beta versions of software.

46. participate in Beta testing so you can be among the first to use unreleased software.

47. can recite from memory more than 3 lines from any Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, or Star Wars television episode or movie.

48. own and use more than 2 computers concurrently on a regular basis.

49. know the difference between T568A and T568B category 5 cable termination.

50. know how to terminate category 5 cabling.

51. wore the same clothes for more than 48 consecutive hours, even though clean(er) clothes were readily available.

52. used your device to avoid socializing at a gathering with family or friends.

53. asked someone to repeat what they said because you were distracted by a computer.

54. suffer from withdrawal symptoms when deprived of Internet access for more than 5 hours.

55. have sufficient experience as a nerd to compose a 55-item list of typical characteristics.

This is all in fun and in the interest of transparency, I’ve probably done (and may still be doing) most of them.

If you’d like to share the fun with others, try this:

• Make a copy of this list for each person and pass it around
• Have each person claim 1 point per nerd characteristic that’s true
• Total & compare scores to see who’s most in danger of being labeled a “nerd”

I’ve probably missed a few things in this list (yes, my opinion is inherently flawed and I don’t want to hear about it). Feel free to use any portion or the entirety of this list however you wish. If you do something interesting with it, I would be cool if you let me know about it. :-)

Don’t worry, nerd is a term of endearment (or at least, that’s what I’ve been told). Enjoy!