What is the best euphemism for a non-developer?

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+16 Q:

What is the best euphemism for a non-developer?

I'm writing a description for a piece of software that targets the user who is "not technically minded", i.e. a person who uses "browser/office/email" and has a low tolerance for anything technical, he just "wants it to work" without being involved in any of the technical details.

What is the best non-disparaging term you have seen to describe this kind of user?

non-technical user
low-tech user
office user
normal user
technically challenged user
non-developer
computer joe

Surely there is some official, politically-correct retronym for this kind of user that the press and software marketing use.

computer/technology layman or layperson?

tjohns20 2010-04-21 03:10:18

+1 A:

Home user? Pretty much.... or you could say 'For family'.

DMan 2010-04-21 03:12:25

+12 A:

I've used "casual user"

Webjedi 2010-04-21 03:14:54

I like that, it sounds positive and with a hint that the user might "try something new if it happens to work intuitively".

Edward Tanguay 2010-04-21 03:19:38

Hmmm, casual user. Causer? Cuser? J'accuse! :-)

Steve 2010-04-23 20:18:17

+41 A:

Just use "end user".

It communicates exactly who you're talking about without risk of put down. End users are people who use the product and want their software to function without hassle.

Paul Sasik 2010-04-21 03:17:10

Sums it up perfectly I think.

GiddyUpHorsey 2010-04-21 04:09:21

While I entered my answer as a bit of a joke, I fully agree with this, or "customer."

kyoryu 2010-04-21 05:35:22

The external references mentioned in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_software) support your choice, only hyphened: "end-user". Why hyphened? I don't know. (See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-user.)

Daniel Daranas 2010-04-21 05:39:07

But "end user" can be "technical" or not. For instance, I'm the "end user" of Emacs. Do I expect it to "just work"? No, of course. I use it because I want to be involved in technical details and tweak them.

Joonas Pulakka 2010-04-21 05:41:12

@Joonas Pulakka: Then just use "End-user who is not a professional developer". I don't think architects have a single word to describe people who live in houses but are not architects themselves. Do you have words for non-professional tennis players? Non-professional dancers? People who are not dentists but brush their teeth?

Daniel Daranas 2010-04-21 05:42:45

@Daniel Daranas: "End-user who is not a professional developer" is quite clumsy, isn't it? And plain "end user" is highly ambiguous. So how about using some other term altogether? I like "casual user". I also use the term "hobbyist" about myself with regards to music etc. that I do non-professionally. How about "casual dancer", "casual singer" etc.?

Joonas Pulakka 2010-04-21 05:57:13

you could conjure up a new term and copy paste it all across the document. Or you could write a short paragraph that gives the definition of the target end-user for your application and from then on use the word end user. Yes End user without context is ambiguous but since you do have a context.. use it !

Newtopian 2010-04-21 06:21:56

With context, ok. But the OP was asking for a term describing the user who is "not technically minded". A single product can have both technically minded and not-technically-minded end users; for instance, a database product can be used by its administrator, and by an office clerk. They use it at quite different levels, but both are end users of the DB, aren't they?

Joonas Pulakka 2010-04-21 06:56:42

Some extremely politically correct people complain about the word "user", equating the term with drug user, although end user is pretty much everywhere, the de facto term of choice.

Steve 2010-04-23 20:19:32

Hmm. Tons of answers and votes here but none accepted?

Paul Sasik 2010-06-19 05:55:01

brilliant! this is exact word i use and always get understood correctly. for our products we usually have administrator - the technical guy that set up the application and end user - the one who uses without getting into technical details.

Andrey 2010-06-29 10:16:57

typical user?
non-techie?

It kind of depends on the context you're using it. Language is complex and a word in one setting will have a different nuance than when it's used in another.

Syntax Error 2010-04-21 03:18:01

+1 A:

I like the term "non-autistic" to describe the technically-declined end-user.

JUST MY correct OPINION 2010-04-21 03:18:18

One term used for non-autistic is neurotypical: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotypical

Andrew Grimm 2010-05-17 23:28:21

Normal human being.
The not technically minded. (can sound disparaging).
Everyday users.
Someone who just wants to get things done.

whybird 2010-04-21 03:18:25

... or potential iPad purchaser! ;-)

whybird 2010-04-21 03:22:58

+2 A:

I would call it "customer". After all, computers and software are simply tools purchased by regular persons to help (or hinder :) their daily lives and works.

Otávio Décio 2010-04-21 03:19:18

+8 A:

ID:10T error waiting to happen. ;-D

Sky Sanders 2010-04-21 03:19:20

funny: reminds me of a "DDT error" (don't do that)

Edward Tanguay 2010-04-21 03:27:21

Aka PEBKAC ("Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair")

Eduardo Scoz 2010-04-21 03:34:55

+5 A:

"luser" goes back to MIT circa 1975 according to the Jargon File.

http://www.outpost9.com/reference/jargon/jargon_27.html#TAG1080

Mark Harrison 2010-04-21 03:34:03

I am sure that would do wonders as a "non-disparaging term" but it's an interesting piece of history!

Mathias 2010-04-21 04:21:59

Yes, I suppose it would help if your lusers had a great sense of humor.

Mark Harrison 2010-04-21 19:46:28

+13 A:

I just call them "Lesser Mortals"

inspectorG4dget 2010-04-21 03:52:54

...exactly why developers aren't allowed to interact with customers. lol and +1 nonetheless

Baddie 2010-04-21 03:58:12

+1 A:

A mere mortal.

I guess stack overflow wants me to type a longer response.

jcmoney 2010-04-21 04:54:18

The term I like to use is "PM."

kyoryu 2010-04-21 05:33:46

Client, may be?

fastcodejava 2010-04-21 05:36:38

+5 A:

As my Data Structures professor referred to them:
Muggles

mvid 2010-04-21 05:38:41

A Level 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layer_8

Christopher Altman 2010-04-25 02:36:29

Muggle (from the Harry Potter series).

Andrew Grimm 2010-05-17 23:29:55

Try to change the subject.

How would you describe the person who takes a "medicament", when it is someone who didn't go to the medical school?

How would you name the person who buys some add-on for his car, when it is someone who doesn't care about mechanics, or embedded software?

pascal 2010-06-29 10:13:08

ansaurus

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What is the best euphemism for a non-developer?

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