Better Word than User?
One of my favourite blog authors (and podcasters), Jon Udell, raised the possibility of finding a better word than ‘user’, particularly in the context of ‘user-generated content’. Jon in turn refers to a blog entry from Jimmy Guterman of O-Reilly Radar who was more emphatic, ‘Don’t Call Me a User‘, with the oft-quoted ‘there are only two industries that refer to their customers as users: high tech and illegal drugs’.
Jimmy invited his readers to suggest alternatives and at the time of writing had received 47 replies. A collection of the more serious suggestions as they arrived is:
|
Customer |
Actor |
Member |
Publisher |
|
Viewer |
Photographer |
Investor |
Student |
|
Consumer |
Lurker |
Community member |
Participant |
|
Co-creator |
Author |
Artist |
Critic |
|
Creator |
Reviewer |
Organiser |
Editor |
|
Contributor |
User 2.0 |
Reader |
Person |
|
Visitor |
Patron |
Individual |
Client |
|
Typer |
Most surprising of all was a strong consensus to retain the word ‘user’! Apparently librarians prefer ‘patron’.
Jon proposes the term ‘webjay’ which is new to me. What do you think?
Published with Word 2007.
