droid

2 definitions found

droid - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  droid
  
     <robotics> (From "android") The robots of the Star Wars
     universe.  While androids look somewhat human-like, Star Wars'
     droids are typically fashioned in the likeness of their
     creators or in a utilitarian design that stresses function
     over appearance.  Droids are equipped with artificial
     intelligence, though some are naturally created smarter than
     others depending on the function they are designed to serve.
  
     "Droid" is a Lucasfilm Ltd. trademark.
  
     starwars.com (http://starwars.com/databank/droid/).
  
     ["A Guide to the Star Wars Universe", Bill Slavicsek, 1994,
     Lucasfilm Ltd.]
  
     [Was George Lucas really the first to use the abbreviation (in
     1977)?]
  
     (2006-07-21)
  

droid - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  droid
   n.
  
     [from android, SF terminology for a humanoid robot of essentially
     biological (as opposed to mechanical/electronic) construction] A
     person (esp. a low-level bureaucrat or service-business employee)
     exhibiting most of the following characteristics: (a) naive trust in
     the wisdom of the parent organization or `the system'; (b) a
     blind-faith propensity to believe obvious nonsense emitted by
     authority figures (or computers!); (c) a rule-governed mentality, one
     unwilling or unable to look beyond the `letter of the law' in
     exceptional situations; (d) a paralyzing fear of official reprimand
  or
     worse if Procedures are not followed No Matter What; and (e) no
     interest in doing anything above or beyond the call of a very
     narrowly-interpreted duty, or in particular in fixing that which is
     broken; an "It's not my job, man" attitude.
  
     Typical droid positions include supermarket checkout assistant and
     bank clerk; the syndrome is also endemic in low-level government
     employees. The implication is that the rules and official procedures
     constitute software that the droid is executing; problems arise when
     the software has not been properly debugged. The term droid mentality
     is also used to describe the mindset behind this behavior. Compare
     suit, marketroid; see -oid.
  
     In England there is equivalent mainstream slang; a `jobsworth' is an
     obstructive, rule-following bureaucrat, often of the uniformed or
     suited variety. Named for the habit of denying a reasonable request
  by
     sucking his teeth and saying "Oh no, guv, sorry I can't help you:
     that's more than my job's worth".