Liveware vs. Software — What's the Difference?

Liveware was used in the computer industry as early as 1966 to refer to computer users, often in humorous contexts, by analogy with hardware and software.It is a slang term used to denote people using (attached to) computers, and is based on the need for a human, or liveware, to operate the system using hardware and software. Other words meaning the same or similar to liveware include wetware, meatware and jellyware.

Software is a collection of instructions and data that tell a computer how to work. This is in contrast to physical hardware, from which the system is built and actually performs the work.

(colloquial) People who work with computers, as opposed to the software or hardware they use; loosely, human beings, as opposed to technology.

The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation.

(computing) Encoded computer instructions, usually modifiable (unless stored in some form of unalterable memory such as ROM).

(military) The human beings involved in warfare, as opposed to hardware such as weapons and vehicles.

(computer science) written programs or procedures or rules and associated documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system and that are stored in read/write memory;