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What do YOU use, instead of the terms that you find alarming?
If you donât have a consistent set of terms to do the same job, then why not (which would probably answer the same question on behalf of most of the rest of us)?
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Response:Â
Although I acknowledge mattgras's concern (below) from a cultural perspective, I'd like to respond to the issue Kevin has raised on what to call "users":
If I am writing for/about several types of users or am telling integrators/managers about setting up a system for various types of users, my rule of thumb on the best replacement for "user" depends on who actually works with the product. For a medical product, I replace "user" withÂphysician, physician's assistant, nurse, medical assistant, or medical coding specialist.ÂFor a manufacturing product, "user" becomes
>>integrator, shop floor supervisor, mechanic, robot operator, or technician and for an accounting product, "user" becomes CPA, staff accountant, payroll specialist, accounts payable specialist, and so on... anyway, you've got the idea...
For a complex product like Kevin's, distinguishing the many user types is definitely a real issue. As it might not be self-evident how "Crypto Officers" differ from "Crypto Users," I'd define each role and what distinguishes it. If it is early enough in the product development cycle and it's still possible to change the names of the roles, I'd try to avoid having roles with similar names, as that might lead to confusion.Â
I'd also stay away from vanilla "user," referring (only if absolutely necessary) to a person who is logged in to the OS as either a "Windows user" or "Windows administrator" for clarification.Â
I have had the misfortune of running into situations where products contained "users" and "user accounts," mirroring Windows terminology and leading to sentences requiring phrases such as "...a SlickProduct user logged in as a Windows user...." vs. "...a SlickProduct user logged in as a Windows administrator..." !!!
I think most of us prefer situations where we can contribute to the product design/terminology and obliterate excess deployment of the generic term "user" before it's too late...Â
________________________________
From: "mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net" <mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: Richard Combs <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2011 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: Grammar - The Gotcha Microsoft Gives
You miss my drift.
I am a person.
I am not a "user," a "customer," or a "consumer."
All those terms present me in relation to products or services, and regard me as a cog in a corporate machine.
This is, I think, a major problem in our world and one of the reasons why profits are more highly regarded than people.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Combs" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>
To: mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2011 8:36:13 AM
Subject: RE: Grammar - The Gotcha Microsoft Gives
mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net wrote:
Â
> I find the words "user," "customer," and "consumer" (especially
> consumer) alarming: why do we all, including media, seem to
> increasingly regard P E O P L E as entites in relationship with
> products?
Alarming? Seriously? I believe there are prescription medications that can help you with that. :-)
After you calm down, you may want to study those terms that disturb you a bit more carefully. You seem to be using "entites" (entities) as a synonym for "things." But the words "user," "customer," and "consumer" aren't references to _entities_ in that sense, they're references to _actors_.
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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