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Define the word luser

luser /loo'zr/ n. [common] A user; esp. one who is also a loser.
   (luser and loser are pronounced identically.) This word was coined
   around 1975 at MIT. Under ITS, when you first walked up to a terminal at
   MIT and typed Control-Z to get the computer's attention, it printed out
   some status information, including how many people were already using
   the computer; it might print "14 users", for example. Someone thought it
   would be a great joke to patch the system to print "14 losers" instead.
   There ensued a great controversy, as some of the users didn't
   particularly want to be called losers to their faces every time they
   used the computer. For a while several hackers struggled covertly, each
   changing the message behind the back of the others; any time you logged
   into the computer it was even money whether it would say "users" or
   "losers". Finally, someone tried the compromise "lusers", and it stuck.
   Later one of the ITS machines supported `luser' as a request-for-help
   command. ITS died the death in mid-1990, except as a museum piece; the
   usage lives on, however, and the term `luser' is often seen in program
   comments and on Usenet. Compare mundane, muggle.

= M =

luser
     
         /loo'zr/ A user; especially one who is also
        a loser.  (luser and loser are pronounced identically.)
        This word was coined around 1975 at MIT.
     
        Under ITS, when you first walked up to a terminal at MIT and
        typed Control-Z to get the computer's attention, it printed
        out some status information, including how many people were
        already using the computer; it might print "14 users", for
        example.  Someone thought it would be a great joke to patch
        the system to print "14 losers" instead.  There ensued a great
        controversy, as some of the users didn't particularly want to
        be called losers to their faces every time they used the
        computer.  For a while several hackers struggled covertly,
        each changing the message behind the back of the others; any
        time you logged into the computer it was even money whether it
        would say "users" or "losers".  Finally, someone tried the
        compromise "lusers", and it stuck.
     
        Later one of the ITS machines supported "luser" as a
        request-for-help command.  ITS died the death in mid-1990,
        except as a museum piece; the usage lives on, however, and the
        term "luser" is often seen in program comments.
     
        See: also LART.  Compare: tourist, weenie.
     
        [Jargon File]
     
        (1998-07-01)