I hear a lot of people justifying, prioritising or rejecting site features based upon the user and their needs. This is not surprising considering that the user is the cornerstone of the UCD process.
However, I suggest that we should stop thinking about the user and start thinking about roles such as Readers, Producers, Viewers, Browsers, Shoppers and Authors etc instead. Thinking about the user is very limited, but thinking about a Browser for example is much more helpful. We instantly know a little more about a Browser, we have an understanding of what they may be trying to achieve and we can better relate to them.
So stop thinking and talking about the ‘user' and start thinking about user roles (even better create personas and give them a name).
Decisions should not be weighed up against the needs of the ‘user' but the needs of a specific type of user.