technopeasant

English

WOTD – 24 February 2013

Etymology

From techno- +‎ peasant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛknəʊˌpɛzənt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

technopeasant (plural technopeasants)

1. (informal) One who is disadvantaged or exploited within a modern technological society, especially through inability to use computer technology.
   • 1994, Stewart Wieck, When Will You Rage?‎^[1], page 86:

     “You would be able to, if only you′d — ”
     Jim cut him off in mid-grumble. “I know. ‘If only I′d stop being a technopeasant and open my eyes.’ OK, I know I′ve been a technopeasant, but now I want to open my eyes, and I need you to help me do it.”

   • 1997, Ruth H. Jacobs, Be an Outrageous Older Woman‎^[2], page 111:

     Being a technopeasant, I took his word for it and bought the rabbit ears for an additional sum. When I got home and uncrated the set, I discovered it had a built-in antenna and that I did not need the extra one.

   • 1999, William A. Stahl (William Austin), God and the Chip: Religion and the Culture of Technology‎^[3], page 47:

     In his vision people will be divided into two classes; “the Knows” and the “Know-Nots,” the digirati and the technopeasants.

   • 2001, Ruth Cohen, Alien Invasion: How The Harris Tories Mismanaged Ontario‎^[4], page 182:

     In his other statements it is clear that he regards computer programmers as technopeasants, and this is how many corporations do treat them with programming outsourced to low-wage countries like India.

Related terms

• technopeasantry