Insult? Not really, it's no different then 'nerd', 'geek', or even 'hipster'. FYI kid, I know what it means in Japan, but like I said, language evolves, you think English words haven't changed over to time? Newsflash, they have. Words and symbols alike change over time. History is proof of that. By your fail logic you seem to think people aren't allowed to use 'otaku' simply because it's Japanese, even though somehow people can say things like tsunami without anyone caring.