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Amateur
Most commonly an amateur is understood to be someone who does something
without pay or formal training. Conversely, a professional is someone who
has received training in a particular area and who also makes a living from
it. The word comes from French, and can be translated as "lover of",
reflecting the amateur's motivation to work as a result of a love or passion
for a particular activity.
Amateurism can be seen in both a negative and positive light. Since amateurs
often do not have training, amateur work can sometimes be seen as sub-par.
For example, amateur athletes in sports such as basketball or football are
not regarded as having the same level of ability professional athletes.
Alternatively, the lack of financial recompense can also be seen as a sign
of commitment to an activity. For instance, until the 1970s most Olympic
events required that the athletes be amateurs. Receiving payment to
participate in an event disqualified an athlete from that event, as in the
case of Jim Thorpe. This rule remains in place for boxing and football
events.
Amateurs make valuable contributions in the fields of computer programming
through the open source movement. Amateur dramatics is the performance of
either plays or musical theater, often to high standards but lacking the
budgets of the professional West End or Broadway performances. Astronomy and
ornithology have also benefited from the activity of amateurs.
Pursuing amateur activities to the same standards as professionals is
sometimes referred to as professional amateurism.
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