# The problem with this computer is the person sitting in front of it. Acronym/Saying? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2018, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245 "2018-03-27T04:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/1 "2018-03-27T04:53:32Z")
Not so very many years ago, this was a briefly popular saying or something for tech support people where I worked. I’m pretty sure it was an acronym that the user wouldn’t understand if he didn’t already know it, so the tech support person could say it in front of the user. Anyone remember what this was? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/2 "2018-03-27T04:55:07Z")
PEBKAC = Problem exists between keyboard and chair? ID10T errors, as well ---
**Author:** ![Moris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moris/32/2846_2.png) [@Moris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moris)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/3 "2018-03-27T05:33:11Z")
Probably GIGO; garbage in, garbage out ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/4 "2018-03-27T05:43:05Z")
PICNIC - Problem In Chair, Not In Computer is sometimes used as well. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/5 "2018-03-27T06:48:56Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > PEBKAC = Problem exists between keyboard and chair? > > ID10T errors, as well These are the two that I learned, probably 25 years ago or so. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/6 "2018-03-27T09:17:20Z")
I use UIC - User In Chair. ---
**Author:** ![AlonzoSWhitebeard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@AlonzoSWhitebeard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlonzoSWhitebeard)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/7 "2018-03-27T09:19:19Z")
Wetware problem. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/8 "2018-03-27T11:44:05Z")
Operator Headspace Error ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/9 "2018-03-27T11:58:55Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > PEBKAC = Problem exists between keyboard and chair? > > ID10T errors, as well These are the ones I’ve heard most often. There’s also the RTFM error. Read The Fucking Manual. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/10 "2018-03-27T11:59:36Z")
A.k.a. a “Layer 8 issue.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/11 "2018-03-27T12:22:35Z")
There is an official word for it that you use in your service management software during resolution …“training.” ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/12 "2018-03-27T12:25:59Z")
One I hear often is “Code 18” (= the problem is 18 inches in front of screen). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/13 "2018-03-27T12:34:56Z")
PEBKAC, PICNIC and ID-Ten-T are the ones I am familiar with, but they’re pretty unusable in earnest as they are now too well known in general. I did actually see a guy get fired once from an IT service desk for accidentally using ID10T in what he thought was an internal comment on a support ticket (but was in fact the resolution response that goes to the user) ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/14 "2018-03-27T12:40:37Z")
The two we used many years ago were “defective c/k (chair to keyboard) interface” and ESO (Equipment Superior to Operator) error. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/15 "2018-03-27T16:02:44Z")
OpM: operator malfunction. I like ‘c/k interface error’ also. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/16 "2018-03-27T16:29:36Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > A.k.a. a “Layer 8 issue.” OK, this one I don’t get. Explain? I think the one I was looking for must have been PEBKAC, the meaning sounds right, although the acronym itself doesn’t ring the familiarity bell. I really like “code 18” and probably would have used that if I had known about it. When we switched from typewriters to dedicated terminals back in the 80s, I was first line of support for some really computer-phobic and resistant people. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/17 "2018-03-27T16:32:21Z")
The [OSI Model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model) defines 7 layers from the physical cable (Layer 1) up to the application (Layer 7). Ethernet is Layer 2, TCP/IP is Layer 3, etc. The human uses the application, so they are Layer 8. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/18 "2018-03-27T16:43:19Z")
Bad User on Device ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/19 "2018-03-27T16:49:32Z")
“When you design a fool-proof system, nature designs a better fool.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245/20 "2018-03-27T17:52:18Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > “When you design a fool-proof system, nature designs a better fool.” > > Regards, > Shodan Or, you can’t make the application idiot proof, but you can try to make it idiot resistant. I’ve always used PEBCAC with a C not a K. Problem Exists Between Chair And Computer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-this-computer-is-the-person-sitting-in-front-of-it-acronym-saying/811245.md?page=2)