Do you know... "Bidouilleur"

[JacquesD]

Hi to all,

I'm aside with this question, but I need help to translate a French word to English.
In my site I've made a new section for user who want to customize their sites with some help.

In Québec when we talk about someone always "willing" to do complex things without prior experience... a "patenteux" or the correct word in international French is : "Un bidouilleur"

But when I try to translate "Bidouilleur", answers are beside the track :
- Hacker (Is a kind of computer Pirates)
- Cracker (But we don't "crack" any software)
- Geek (But he always know a lot)
- Do-It-yourselfer (It's not a work around house Owner??)

Then, do you know a better word to describe someone who's curious about new things and always ready to try new things... with minimal reading.

Thanks in advance,
Jacques

[robynfali]

Apprentice (learner) ---> Apprenti

[JacquesD]

Apprentice (learner) ---> Apprenti

...Apprentice sounds to me like a "Rookie" (pejorative), no?

"Bidouilleur" is more a person sure of itself, he knows that with just a few lines of (good) reading, he will succeed! (and if he won't, text is guilty!)

Thanks,
Jacques

Ps. Title of Section in French is "Le Coin du Bidouilleur" and I think of something like "Rookie's Corner"

[gemini06720]

Jacques, some of the terms/words you have displayed in your first message are right...

Although over the years the term hacker has been associated piracy, at its beginning (many many moons ago), a hacker was someone that really enjoyed getting 'deep' into things such as computer code or even into a computer, in other words, 'un mordu de l'informatique'.

..."Bidouilleur" is more a person sure of itself, he knows that with just a few lines of (good) reading, he will succeed...

Although I have not found a definition for the word 'bidouilleur' in my dictionaries, I have found the definition for 'bidouiller' which mean to fiddle ('truquer', 'falsifier') or tamper ('altérer', 'falsifier', 'trafiquer') with something...

According to the Internet, 'un bidouilleur' is 'un bricoleur, une personne qui bidouille' ... check this page...

[JacquesD]

Hi Ray,

I'm finding "official" (govrnment) definition, for "bidouilleur" in this link:

http://www.inventerm.com/terme.aspx?Id= ... formatique

But, they mention Hackers and Crackers as fault translation (pejorative), then I don't know how to tell it... I'm not a professional translator... and not my native language.

Presently, the most beautiful expression seems to be "Do-It-Yourselfer's Corner"... but it sound like "Hammer and Saw guy".

Maybe I'm too perfectionist!

Jacques

[beteljuice]

Do you really want to refer to a person, or do you want a 'friendly' subject heading ?

Instead of "Do-It-Yourself", you could have something like "Make It Your Own", or perhaps
"Idiots Guide To Customisation", or "Rough Guide To ....."

[gemini06720]

Jacques, as I mentioned previously, and as the article at the 'Office québéquois de la langue française' seems to lead to, the term 'bidouilleur' can and should be translated to 'hacker', not with the meaning now-a-day associated with 'cracker' (or 'pirate informatique') but with the 'conventional' meaning that a hacker is someone passionate with electronics ... or a 'bidouilleur'...

[Gina]

Many decades ago when I was doing French "O" Level I failed first time and got a private tutor to help me get through on the retry. She was French and a very good teacher. In fact, she taught me so well that after six months I was thinking in French and realised that there were some words and phrases that didn't translate exactly from one language to the other. This seems to be a case of that. I know exactly what you mean Jacques, and I can't think of an exact match even with nearly 70 years of learning my native language I come into that category myself, I think, and have been called many things including "boffin", which isn't quite right. I'm an experimenter, keen to learn, open to new ideas, a thirst for knowledge. What am I? I think "Bidouilleur" seems to fit.

[JacquesD]

... What am I? I think "Bidouilleur" seems to fit.

Hi GINA,

You are exactly the kind of person I was thinking anout... Some one who don't hesitate to open something just by curiosity... to learn!
Like I say to my tall child... that's not made by "martians"... someone has simply learn that before!

Thanks "Ami Bidouilleur"!

Jacques