cybercowboy

English

Etymology

cyber- +‎ cowboy

Noun

cybercowboy (plural cybercowboys)

1. (science fiction) A character who carries out contract work, especially of a legally dubious nature, in cyberspace.
   • 2000, Cutting Edge, Digital desires: language, identity and new technologies:

     ...from the voyeur and beau, through the private dick and the hobo to the cybercowboy and the cyborg.

   • 2002, Amanda Fernbach, Fantasies of fetishism: from decadence to the post-human:

     Unlike the cyborg and cybercowboy, technoman Lenny is a sad figure who cannot move on. Despite Faith's rejections he loiters about the club where she works...

   • 2003, Frederick Buell, From apocalypse to way of life: environmental crisis in the American century:

     ...ruthlessly competitive with each other, these corporations hire cybercowboys like Case to do this risky work for them.

2. (informal) An Internet user.
   • 1995, Maurice Berger, Brian Wallis, Simon Watson, Carrie Mae Weems, Constructing masculinity:

     ...shares not a little with libertarian cybercowboys of the technosphere like John Barlow and Mitch Kapor...

   • 2001, Jim Sterne, World Wide Web marketing:

     Within the week he upgraded his PC, got a modem, downloaded Netscape, and became a cybercowboy.

Synonyms

• (Internet user): cybernaut, cybersurfer, netizen