Gregory's Server@jaz Yes! the difference in usage of a "contributor", a "participant", and a "user" very nicely captures different people approach and expectations regarding a platform or an online space.
Alas not sure there's a nice replacement for a "user of a software" when that's what you really mean? ("client"/"customer" make sense in some contexts, a bit harder to pull off "tusky operator")
@mira customer is perfectly reasonable if someone is deriving value from your software, even if there's no fee for using it. Fish can be slippery customers, but I'm certain they don't pay for the privilege.
I understand the term of art, I'm guilty of using it myself, but we have a fantastic opportunity to redraw the relationship between protocols, platforms, and people.