computer science

Power user

Power user is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Power user rather than just read about it. In short: Power user is a buzzword for advanced user. An advanced user has progressed beyond beginner level through spending time or acquiring skills, but is not necessarily an expert or developer.

Key takeaways

Power user belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Power user to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Power user from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Power user is a buzzword for advanced user. An advanced user has progressed beyond beginner level through spending time or acquiring skills, but is not necessarily an expert or developer. They may use advanced features of computer hardware, operating systems (for example keyboard shortcuts), programs, or websites which are not used by the average user. The term first appeared in the 1980s. According to Ernie Smith, it has been in use since at least April 1984, when it appeared in an issue of InfoWorld. In 21 January 1985 John C. Dvorak named it buzzword of the year 1984 in his section "1984 Dubious Achievement Awards" in InfoWorld and attributes its invention to marketing. In enterprise software systems, "Power User" may be a formal role given to an individual who is not a programmer but a specialist in business software. Often these people retain their normal user job role but also function in testing, training, and first-tier support of the enterprise software. Users may also erroneously label themselves as power users when they are less than fully competent. In one 1997 study involving design testing of a web application, self-identified power users refused to read any instructions, made wrong guesses, and repeatedly became so lost they could not complete the test. The study also showed, anecdotally, that almost all self-identified power users were men. Even if they had more skill, women didn't label themselves as power users. Some software, such as Microsoft PowerToys, VLC media player and Vivaldi (web browser), has been explicitly advertised as being suitable for power users. User testing for software often focuses on inexperienced or regular users, neglecting advanced users. The blinking twelve problem shows that it can be difficult to appeal to both beginners and advanced users.

Officialized roles

SAP and Oracle SAP and Oracle are enterprise systems that require a complex set of training to gain professional certification. Because of this, and also to encourage engagement with the systems, many companies have created a "Super User Model" (also called Power User, Champion) to take regular users and raise them to a level of leadership within the system. Doing this accomplishes three objectives:

More engaged use of the system as there is a personal face assigned to champion the system and make acceptance of the technology less challenging. A significant time and cost reduction as companies are not seeking or hiring new or temporary resources for the purposes of developing and/or delivering documentation, training, and support. ROI or proof of concept of the SAP investment should be more easily achieved as users are directly involved, thereby using the system invested in, which benefits the company overall. Extensive research has been done with the Super User Model in SAP, specifically in regard to the role they take in training and supporting end users. Currently, more than 70% of SAP companies utilize a form of the Super User Model.

Windows administration In Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003, there is a "Power Users" group on the system that gives more permissions than a normal restricted user, but stops short of Administrator permissions. If a user is a member of the Power Users group, they have a greater chance of exposing the system to malware over a normal user and can promote their account to an Administrator by purposely installing malware. Thus, the Power Users group should be used with trustworthy and knowledgeable users only; it is not suitable to contain untrustworthy users. The Power Users group was made obsolete in Windows Vista as part of the consolidation of privilege elevation features in the introduction of User Account Control. In Windows Vista Business l or higher, you can still create a "power user" via local users and groups, but there is no difference from a standard user because all the ACL entries of the file system are completely removed.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Power user

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Power user claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Power user before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Power user ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Power user

In research: Power user appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Power user in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Power user is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing terminology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Power user outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Power user in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Power user means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Power user out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Power user in simple terms?

Power user is a buzzword for advanced user. An advanced user has progressed beyond beginner level through spending time or acquiring skills, but is not necessarily an expert or developer.

Why does Power user matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Power user?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Power user.