Editing Chainik

{{short description|Term}}
{{See also|Hakn a tshaynik}}
{{Wiktionary|ru:чайник}}

'''''Chainik''''' ([[East Slavic languages|East Slavic]]: ''чайник'',  "teakettle", "teapot") is a term that implies both ignorance and a certain amount of willingness to learn (as well as a propensity to cause disaster), but does not necessarily imply as little experience or short exposure time as [[newbie]] and is not as derogatory as [[luser]]. Both a novice user and someone using a computer system for a long time without any understanding of the internals can be referred to as chainiks. <ref name=jafi>{{JargonFile}}</ref>

It is a widespread term in Russian hackish, often used in an English context by Russian-speaking hackers especially in [[Israel]] (e.g. "Our new colleague is a complete chainik"). [[FidoNet]] discussion groups often had a "chainik" subsection for newbies and old chainiks (e.g. SU.CHAINIK, RU.LINUX.CHAINIK). Public projects often have a chainik mailing list to keep the chainiks out the developers' and experienced users' discussions. Today, the word is slowly slipping into mainstream [[Russian language|Russian]] due to the Russian translation of the popular ''[[For Dummies]]'' series which uses "chainik" for "dummy".<ref name=jafi/>

Term can also apply to novice [[mountaineer]]s, [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpackers]], drivers, etc., with such usage predating the usage in computing context. 

Some suggest the term is derived from a Russian folk custom to make a gift of a hollow thing – e.g., a pitted [[pumpkin]], a [[kettle]], or a [[teapot]] – to unsuccessful [[matchmaking|matchmaker]]s of an aspiring groom rejected by a bride. The unlucky groom was mockingly called ''chainik''. Over time the term entered other usages for unlucky, inept, or newbie people.<ref>''A Large Dictionary of Russian Nicknames'', by Harry Walter and Valery Mokiyenko (2007)  {{ISBN|5-373-00435-9}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lUEeuWZdUloC&pg=PA19 p. 19]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beginners and newcomers]]
[[Category:Russian words and phrases]]
[[Category:Computer jargon]]