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If a computerphile loves computers then is there a word for someone who hates them? I've been trying to think how the prefix 'miso' might be used, e.g. misogynist vs philogynist, but haven't come up with anything.

"Phobia" means "fear" and implies an irrationality that I would like to avoid. The word I'm looking for would mean a strong but perfectly rational dislike of computers and/or computer culture.

I don't feel like a sample sentence is really helpful here but the tag says it's a requirement, so here you go:

"How do you feel about computers?"
"I'm a staunch ______."

NB: The word I'm looking for would be similar to "misogynist" only directed toward computers, the Internet and/or Internet culture rather than women.

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  • @ab2 is that actually a word? Google didn't seem to think so. But that's definitely along the lines of what I'm looking for.
    – dev_willis
    Sep 15, 2016 at 19:14
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because no research is shown ('computerphobe' should have been checked). Sep 15, 2016 at 21:49
  • @EdwinAshworth what research should have been shown? why should 'computerphobe' have been checked? Is it your opinion that the prefix 'miso' and the suffix 'phobe' are synonymous? If so I strongly disagree.
    – dev_willis
    Sep 19, 2016 at 20:18
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    Alas, there is no good term. When I was working in the biz I was known to occasionally, after an unusually frustrating interaction with one of the beasts, yell out "I hate computers!!". "Computerphobe" or "Luddite" wouldn't fit, since I have no more fear of computers than the average guy, and I use them all the time. I just don't like them very much!
    – Hot Licks
    Sep 19, 2016 at 22:07

6 Answers 6

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One of the issues with hate is that its cause is often a lack: of knowledge, of understanding, of self-confidence.

With a close friend of mine, we use in French the neologism "mal-computant" or malcomputant, to describe somebody with very low ability or confidence in computers/internet/geek culture, and who often hates "them all", generally with little knowledge on the topic ("I hate Facebook, I never had an account").

The prefix mal- means “bad,” “wrongful,” “ill” and is used in English for instance in malfunction, malcontent. The French term malvoyant means "lacking of the ability to see correctly". The English version points to "Low vision" which redirects to Visual Impairment. Since the -phobia suffix did not match well, I thus propose computer-impaired.

In a comment, technoluddite was proposed (from John ou Ned Ludd). However, the concept seems more akin to "a technologist that longs for a simpler life". Luddism, by itself, sometimes refers to people that opposes to novel technologies, or criticizes them. Some talk about neo-luddism. The OP does not seem to convey such an active meaning.

Upon comments again, referring to geek culture, rare occurrences of misogeekism or misonerdism exist. However, it is not clear whether it is a fear of nerds or geeks, or a fear of the geek-culture.


For the record, my initial proposals were:

Cyberphobic, from the second meaning of Cyberphobia (Wikipedia), since phobia may refer to hate or fear:

Cyberphobia is a concept introduced in 1985, described as a specific phobia expressed as "an irrational fear of or aversion to computers" or more generally, a fear and/or inability to learn about new technologies.

A related term is logizomechanophobia:

More than just sweating when needing to format an Excel spreadsheet, people who have Logizomechanophobia won't go near anything digital. Not computers, not ATM machines, not the kiosk at the airport - none of it. It's often caused by a traumatic event caused by electronics.

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    The suffix "phobia" really only means "fear" though. In recent vernacular it has been used to mean "hate," e.g. "homophobia" or "islamophobia," but that's really an incorrect use I feel. Hate certainly grows out of fear, so an islamophobe may be likely to hate muslims as well as fear them, but the word itself doesn't mean that. Also, "phobia" implies an irrationality that I would like to avoid. The word I'm looking for would mean a strong but perfectly rational dislike of computers and computer culture.
    – dev_willis
    Aug 16, 2016 at 14:03
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    A perfectly rational dislike. I will think about that Aug 16, 2016 at 17:17
  • To me, "computer-impaired" implies that the person isn't capable of using and/or understanding computers and does not imply any particular feelings toward them. The word I'm looking for would be something like "misogynist" only directed towards computers, the Internet or perhaps Internet culture rather than women.
    – dev_willis
    Sep 15, 2016 at 19:13
  • @Dave I did some update, based on your comments. Esp. explaining why I used impaired Sep 15, 2016 at 21:15
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    @Dave 'The suffix "phobia" really only means "fear" though. In recent vernacular it has been used to mean "hate," e.g. "homophobia" or "islamophobia," but that's really an incorrect use I feel.' is the etymological fallacy. In English, usage rather than pedigree drives acceptability. Sep 19, 2016 at 20:45
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Possibly "luddite" which means someone who is opposed to all modern technology.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Luddite

  1. one of a group of early 19th century English workmen destroying labor saving machinery as a protest;
  2. broadly : one who is opposed to especially technological change

Often it's used to describe people who aren't opposed to modern technology, but just don't understand it (and don't really want to bother learning how to).

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    One might even call them Neo-Luddites or technophobes, but of course it's much broader than just computers or even smartphones.
    – MorganFR
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:24
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    I thought about this word but I think it's too broad. I'm concerned specifically with computers and not technology and technological change as a whole. A luddite might easily hate nail guns, preferring hammers.
    – dev_willis
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:32
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    Technoluddite is a related and more specific term Aug 12, 2016 at 12:20
  • @LaurentDuval Technoluddite may be the closest I'll get. The word seems a bit redundant to me (techno being short for technology, which luddite already implies) but it looks like, in the vernacular, it is used specifically in relation to computers and computer-related technology. Thanks!
    – dev_willis
    Sep 15, 2016 at 19:27
  • @Dave I have updated m'y answer following tour comments Sep 15, 2016 at 22:10
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I thought we were going to have to coin this word, but it turns out it already exists at Merriam-Webster:

computerphobe: a person who experiences anxiety about computers and especially about their use

And also at the Free Dictionary:

computerphobia (kəmˈpjuːtəˌfəʊbɪə) n the fear or dislike of computers

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  • This is such a ridiculous word, mixing English and the Ancient Greek -phobia for fear. I'm aware that there was nothing close to anything technological back then, but I'm sure they could have come up with something better, or added a little something between computer- and -phobia
    – MorganFR
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:08
  • They did calculations. Seems like there would be a word there that could be used. "Phobia" really means fear I think and that's not what I'm going for. Hate, not fear, is what I'm looking for.
    – dev_willis
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:12
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    phobias are now 'dislikes'. We're doomed. I don't like beans... beanophobde!
    – user116032
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:13
  • @Dave absolutely, I was even looking for a word like that to go with phobia.
    – MorganFR
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:13
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    @Hellion Wouldn't that be phobophobicphobic? As in the fear of someone afraid of fear, and not the fear of fear of fear. The latter includes the former, so I suppose it works too, but it is less precise.
    – MorganFR
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:35
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In context, identifying oneself as a dinosaur would achieve your desired result. It might not be specific, but it suggests an intentional desire to stay away from technology--not necessarily out of fear but because you don't care to engage with it.

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  • I feel like "dinosaur" is really a reference to being aged and the technology connotation is incidental. In conversation it could be used to get the point across but in a standalone sentence it would not. Saying simply "I'm a dinosaur" without any additional context would probably not convey to the reader that the speaker has a strong dislike for computers.
    – dev_willis
    Aug 16, 2016 at 13:44
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The word technophobe fits in terms of its usage. Strictly it should apply to all technology but these days people tend to use 'technology' to refer only to ICT, so technophobe fills the space in the OP's sample sentence nicely.

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  • What's an icy tea?
    – tchrist
    Sep 15, 2016 at 21:51
  • @tchrist Either Information and Computer Technology or a long cold drink..
    – BoldBen
    Sep 17, 2016 at 17:17
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Techno-peasant

When I worked in IT in London, we used to call them ‘techno-peasants’ alluding to the idea that they had ‘never come out of the fields, as far as computers are concerned’.

And - oh funny - it’s actually made it onto Wictionary!

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/technopeasant

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