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Encyclopedia > User (computing)

User in a computing context refers to one who uses a computer system. Users may need to identify themselves for the purposes of accounting, security, logging and resource management. In order to identify oneself, a user has an account (a user account) and a username (also called a screen name, handle, nickname, or nick on some systems), and in most cases also a password (see below). Users employ the user interface to access systems, and the process of identification is often referred to as authentication. RAM (Random Access Memory) Look up computing in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A password is a form of secret authentication data that is used to control access to a resource. ... The user interface is the part of a system exposed to users. ...


Users are also widely characterized as the class of people that uses a system without complete technical expertise required to fully understand the system. In most hacker-related contexts, they are also called real users. See also End-user (computer science). This article is about computer hacking. ... The end user is a central concept in software engineering, referring to an abstraction of the group of persons who will ultimately use a piece of software (i. ...


A computer user is similar to the user in telecommunications, but with slight semantic differences. The difference is comparable to the difference between end-users and consumers in economics. In telecommunications, a user is a person, organization, or other entity that employs the services provided by a telecommunication system, or by an information processing system, for transfer of information. ... Economics and commerce define an end-user as the person who uses a product. ...


For instance, one can be a user of (and have an account on) a computer system, a computer network or have an e-mail account. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A computer network is an interconnection of a group of computers. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Contents

Semantics

A user account allows one to authenticate to system services. It also generally provides one with the opportunity to be authorized to access them. However, authentication does not automatically imply authorization. Once the user has logged on, the operating system will often use an identifier such as an integer to refer to them, rather than their username. On Unix systems this is called the user identifier or user id. For other uses of the terms authentication, authentic and authenticity, see authenticity. ... In security engineering and computer security, authorization, is a part of the operating system that protects computer resources by only allowing those resources to be used by resource consumers that have been granted authority to use them. ... Filiation of Unix and Unix-like systems Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX®, sometimes also written as or ® with small caps) is a computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy. ... On Unix-like systems, users are represented by a user identifier, often abbreviated UID. The range of values for a UID varies amongst different systems; at the very least, a UID can be between 0 and 32767, with some restrictions: The Superuser must always have a UID of zero (0). ...


Computer systems are divided into two groups based on what kind of users they have:

  • single-user systems do not have a concept of several user accounts
  • multi-user systems have such a concept, and require users to identify themselves before using the system.

Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. ...

Compare

SVenssons ITS on KLH-10      Welcome to SV! SV ITS.1648. ... The end user is a central concept in software engineering, referring to an abstraction of the group of persons who will ultimately use a piece of software (i. ... The term stakeholder has two distinct uses in the English language: The traditional usage, in law and notably gambling, a third party who temporarily holds money or property while its owner is still being determined. ... In computing, the term registered user is used literally to describe someone who routinely edits and operates a certain type of software, particularly websites. ... On many computer operating systems, superuser, or root, is the term used for the special user account that is controlled by the system administrator. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
People using computers

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... A password is a form of secret authentication data that is used to control access to a resource. ...

References

This article was originally based on material from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, which is licensed under the GFDL. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “GFDL” redirects here. ...


  Results from FactBites:
 
Computer User Responsibilities (557 words)
The computer resources** of The City University of New York must be used in a manner that is consistent with the University's educational purposes and environment.
All users of computer resources are expected to act in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and to adhere to the regulations for their use set forth in this document.
The use of college computer resources may be subject to college regulations, and you are expected to be familiar with those regulations.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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