Re: Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Gerry Faulhaber <gerry-faulhaber () mchsi com>
> Date: April 29, 2010 3:46:30 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Re:  Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too

> Dave [probably not worth posting to IP, but feel free if you like;  
> just my views on terminology]--
>
> FYI; I agree that "consumer" is not good; it signifies someone who  
> buys like an automaton whatever is put out there, and is not  
> actively involved. "Customer", on the other hand, signifies someone  
> who is active in the purchase process, to the point of interacting  
> with the seller.  "User" implies a very passive role in consumption  
> and purchasing; when I drive a car (or buy a car) I don't think of  
> myself as a "user", but as a driver. I'm a user when I use the men's  
> room.  I know that "user" has a long history in the tech world, but  
> it grates me the wrong way.
>
> Similarly, I don't like the medical profession referring to me as a  
> "patient", as if I'm an object to be practiced on.  In all of these  
> contexts, I vastly prefer the term "customer".
>
> "Citizen" signifies an individual's civic role within the state and  
> their rights and obligations within civil society; this is a much  
> different role from "customer" or "user".
>
> Gerry
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "David Farber" <dave () farber net>
> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 12:25 PM
> To: "ip" <ip () v2 listbox com>
> Subject: [IP] Re:   Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too
>
> > User is a lot better!!. I often use customer or citizen
> >
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > From: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw () gmail com>
> > Date: April 29, 2010 11:48:18 AM EDT
> > To: dave () farber net
> > Subject: Re: [IP] Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too
> >
> > Do you like "user" better?   That's the common term for "customer" in
> > computing and only one other large-scale international enterprise.
> >
> > Mary
> >
> > On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 9:37 AM, David Farber <dave () farber net>  
> > wrote:
> > > BTW I HATE the term consumer !!!!!!!! djf
> >
> >
> >
> >
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