A user error is an error made by the human

user Ancient Egyptian roles * User (ancient Egyptian official), an ancient Egyptian nomarch (governor) of the Eighth Dynasty * Useramen, an ancient Egyptian vizier also called "User" Other uses * User (computing), a person (or software) using an ...

of a complex system, usually a computer system, in interacting with it. Although the term is sometimes used by

human–computer interaction Human–computer interaction (HCI) is research in the design and the use of computer technology, which focuses on the interfaces between people (users) and computers. HCI researchers observe the ways humans interact with computers and design tec ...

practitioners, the more formal

human error Human error refers to something having been done that was " not intended by the actor; not desired by a set of rules or an external observer; or that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits".Senders, J.W. and Moray, N.P. (1991) Human ...

term is used in the context of

human reliability Human reliability (also known as human performance or HU) is related to the field of human factors and ergonomics, and refers to the reliability of humans in fields including manufacturing, medicine and nuclear power. Human performance can be affe ...

. Related terms such as PEBMAC ("problem exists between monitor and chair"), identity error or ID-10T/1D-10T error ("idiot error"), PICNIC ("problem in chair, not in computer"), IBM error ("idiot behind machine error") and other similar phrases are also used as slang in technical circles with derogatory meaning. This usage implies a lack of computer savviness, asserting that problems arising when using a device are the fault of the user. Critics of the term argue that the problems are caused instead by a device that does not take into account human limitations and is thus designed in a way that induces errors. The term can also be used for non-computer-related mistakes.

Causes

Joel Spolsky Avram Joel Spolsky (born 1965) is a software engineer and writer. He is the author of ''Joel on Software'', a blog on software development, and the creator of the project management software Trello. He was a Program Manager on the Microsoft Exce ...

points out that users usually do not pay full attention to the computer system while using it. He suggests compensating for this when building usable systems, thus allowing a higher percentage of users to complete tasks without errors: Experts in

interaction design Interaction design, often abbreviated as IxD, is "the practice of designing interactive digital products, environments, systems, and services." Beyond the digital aspect, interaction design is also useful when creating physical (non-digital) produ ...

such as

Alan Cooper Alan Cooper (born June 3, 1952) is an American software designer and programmer. Widely recognized as the "Father of Visual Basic", Cooper is also known for his books ''About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design'' and ''The Inmates Are R ...

believe this concept puts blame in the wrong place, the user, instead of blaming the error-inducing design and its failure to take into account human limitations. Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini describes an anecdote of ''

Dilbert ''Dilbert'' is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Scott Adams, first published on April 16, 1989. It is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office with engineer Dilbert as the title characte ...

'' creator

Scott Adams Scott Raymond Adams (born June 8, 1957) is an American author and cartoonist. He is the creator of the syndicated ''Dilbert'' comic strip, and the author of several nonfiction works of satire, commentary, and business. ''Dilbert'' gained nation ...

losing a significant amount of work of comment moderation at his blog due to a poorly constructed application that conveyed a wrong

mental model A mental model is an explanation of someone's thought process about how something works in the real world. It is a representation of the surrounding world, the relationships between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about thei ...

, even though the user took explicit care to preserve the data.

Jef Raskin Jef Raskin (born Jeff Raskin; March 9, 1943 – February 26, 2005) was an American human–computer interface expert best known for conceiving and starting the Macintosh project at Apple in the late 1970s. Early life and education Jef Raskin ...

advocated designing devices in ways that prevent erroneous actions.

Don Norman Donald Arthur Norman (born December 25, 1935) is an American researcher, professor, and author. Norman is the director of The Design Lab at University of California, San Diego. He is best known for his books on design, especially ''The Design ...

suggests changing the common technical attitude towards user error:

Acronyms and other names

Terms like PEBMAC/PEBCAK or an ID10T error are often used by

tech support Technical support (abbreviated as tech support) is a call centre type customer service provided by companies to advise and assist registered users with issues concerning their technical products. Traditionally done on the phone, technical suppor ...

operators and computer experts to describe a user error as a problem that is attributed to the user's ignorance instead of a software or hardware malfunction. These phrases are used as a humorous way to describe user errors. A highly popularized example of this is a user mistaking their

CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...

tray for a cup holder, or a user looking for the " any key". However, any variety of

stupidity Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, or wit. It may be innate, assumed or reactive. The word ''stupid'' comes from the Latin word ''stupere''. Stupid characters are often used for comedy in fictional stories. Walter B ...

or ignorance-induced problems can be described as user errors.

PEBKAC/PEBCAK/PICNIC

Phrases used by the tech savvy to mean that a problem is caused entirely by the fault of the user include PEBKAC (an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

for "problem exists between keyboard and chair"), PEBCAK (an alternative, but similar, acronym for "problem exists between chair and keyboard"), POBCAK (a US government/military acronym for "problem occurs between chair and keyboard"), PICNIC ("problem in chair not in computer") and EBKAC ("Error between keyboard and chair"). Another variant is PEBUAK (Problem Exists Between User and Keyboard). In 2006,

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...

began running a number of ''PEBCAK'' web-based advertisements to promote its

vPro The VPRO (stylized vpro; originally an acronym for , ) is a Dutch public broadcaster, which forms a part of the Dutch public broadcasting system. Founded in 1926 as a liberal Protestant broadcasting organization, it gradually became more soc ...

platform.

ID-10-T error

ID-Ten-T error (also seen as ID10T and ID107) is a masked jab at the user: when ID-Ten-T is spelled out it becomes ID10T ("

IDIOT An idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person. 'Idiot' was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot ...

"). It is also known as a "Ten-T error" or "ID:10T error". The ''

User Friendly Usability can be described as the capacity of a system to provide a condition for its users to perform the tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently while enjoying the experience. In software engineering, usability is the degree to which a soft ...

'' comic strip presented this usage in a cartoon on 11 February 1999. In United States Navy and Army slang, the term has a similar meaning, though it is pronounced differently: *The Navy pronounces ID10T as "eye dee ten tango". *The Army instead uses the word 1D10T which it pronounces as "one delta ten tango".

In other languages

In Danish it is called a '' Fejl 40'', or "Error 40", indicating that the error was from the device. In Swedish the phrase ''skit bakom spakarna'' ("shit behind the levers") or the abbreviation "SBS-problem" is used. A variant used in the ICT domain is ''skit bakom tangenterna'' ("shit behind the keyboard") abbreviated "SBT". In French it is described as an "ICC" problem (''interface chaise-clavier''), a problem with the keyboard-chair interface, very similarly to the PEBKAC. In Québec it is called a ''Cas-18'', indicating that the error was from the device. Better known as "Code-18". In Portuguese it is called a "BIOS problem" (''Burro Idiota Operando o Sistema''), translated as "Dumb Idiot Operating the System", or USB (''Utilizador Super Burro''), translated as "Super Dumb User". In German it is called a "DAU" (''Dümmster anzunehmender User''), literally translated as "dumbest assumed user", referring to the common engineering acronym "GAU" (''Größter anzunehmender Unfall''), for a

maximum credible accident A design-basis event (DBE) is a postulated event used to establish the acceptable performance requirements of the structures, systems, and components, such that a nuclear power plant can withstand the event and not endanger the health or safety of t ...

, or

worst-case scenario A worst-case scenario is a concept in risk management wherein the planner, in planning for potential disasters, considers the most severe possible outcome that can reasonably be projected to occur in a given situation. Conceiving of worst-case s ...

In subcultures

The computing jargon refers to " wetware bugs" as the user is considered part of the system, in a hardware/software/wetware layering. The automotive repair persons' version is referring to the cause of a problem as a "faulty steering actuator", "broken linkage between the seat and the steering wheel", "loose nut between the steering wheel and the seat," or more simply, "loose nut behind the wheel." Similarly, typewriter repair people used to refer to "a loose nut behind the keyboard" or a "defective keyboard controller." The

broadcast engineering Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering, and now to some extent computer engineering and information technology, which deals with radio and television broadcasting. Audio engineering and RF engineering are also essential par ...

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

version is referred to as a "short between the headphones". Another term used in public safety 2-way radio (i.e. police, fire, ambulance, etc.) is a "defective PTT button actuator". Another similar term used in the United States military is "operator headspace and timing issue" or "OHT," borrowing terminology related to the operation of the

M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...

machine gun. "(It's a) carbon based error", indicates a user problem (as humans are a carbon-based life-form), as opposed to a silicon one. Some support technicians refer to it as "biological interface error". The networking administrators' version is referring to the cause of a problem as a "

layer 8 Layer 8 is a term used to refer to ''user'' or ''political'' layer on top of the 7-layer OSI model of computer networking. The OSI model is a 7-layer abstract model that describes an architecture of data communications for networked computers. The ...

issue", referring to the "user" or "political" layer on top of the 7-layer

OSI model The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model) is a conceptual model that 'provides a common basis for the coordination of SOstandards development for the purpose of systems interconnection'. In the OSI reference model, the communications ...

of computer networking. In

video game culture Video game culture is a worldwide new media subculture formed by video gamers. As video games have exponentially increased in popularity over time, they have had a significant influence on popular culture. Video game culture has also evolved with ...

, user error is sometimes referred to as a "skill issue", often as a retort to the player complaining about the game's perceived unfairness.

References

{{reflist Computer humor Computer jargon In-jokes Internet slang Internet terminology User errors