Slang for a computer expert or enthusiast; the term may be either complimentary or derogatory. Among technophobes, there is little distinction between a nerd and a hacker, between a dweeb and a techie; so the pejorative sense of the term is becoming more prominent, largely due to its co-optation by the popular press as a referent for persons gaining unauthorised access to computer systems for malicious or illegal purposes. The proper term for computer system intruders is cracker (qv). See phreak, script kiddie, turist, software, virus.