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An editor is one who edits; a runner is one who runs.

What is a word for one who configures in the sense of a person who adjusts settings on a system?

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4 Answers

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In practice the normal term would be installer, but configurer and configurator could be used. I think most people would understand these words, even though they don't normally use them.

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Configurator is commonly used, but I don't really like it since it's a neologism. – M. Dudley Aug 2 '11 at 13:59
@emddudley: I wouldn't say it's a neologism. Inevitably it's more common since the 70s, simply because we now have a much more common referent in the computer age. Here's a 1951 usage earlier than that, and I'm sure it will have been used long before. – FumbleFingers Aug 2 '11 at 14:10
Cool, thanks for the reference. – M. Dudley Aug 2 '11 at 14:15
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+1 for installer because this is the word used for people who configure fixtures in buildings, for instance. "Air conditioning installer". Yes, this word is normally used, if not for computer users who install. The reason might be that few specialize in just installing, they way someone specializes in, say, drywall installing. It's a bit of a passing role for systems people. Those who install probably offer various forms of support so they are "customer support staff" or "field engineers". – Kaz Apr 25 '12 at 3:47
up vote 2 down vote

Configurer is the appropriate form, even if the double |ərər| at the end of the word seems strange. Consider other nominalisations that end in |ər| (like 'conjure' -> 'conjurer').

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I think this NGram strongly suggests that configurator, which has become far more common since the 70s IT context got going, is the word of choice for those who don't want to use installer. – FumbleFingers Aug 2 '11 at 14:26
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A "configurator" is different; it is a tool, usually a software tool, that the user employs in the configuration progress. It creates a configuration, hence the term. You seldom if ever hear of a person being called a configurator. – KeithS Aug 2 '11 at 18:13
This is the "most correct" answer, from purely logical grounds (and yes, I realize the tenuous role of logic in English). – John Y Nov 27 '12 at 14:21
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I thought of one possibility: tuner

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Optimizer or fine-tuner. For the first, I was thinking of someone who tries to improve performance of a DBMS... – mkennedy Aug 2 '11 at 13:19
This is not a bad option for those who find configurer too awkward or obscure. I like tuner much better than installer. Except for the very first time you set something up, adjusting settings would be more aptly called tuning than installing. – John Y Nov 27 '12 at 14:29
up vote 1 down vote

Sheer volume of usage in the IT community, e.g. among those configuring SAP, is starting to tilt towards configurator vs. configurer.

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