A user error is an error made by the human user of a complex system, usually a computer system, in interacting with it. Although the term is sometimes used by Human Computer Interaction practitioners, the more formal human error term is used in the context of human reliability.
User Error and related phrases such as PEBKAC ("Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair"), PICNIC ("Problem In Chair Not In Computer") or ID-10T error ("Idiot error") are also used as slang in technical circles with a derogatory meaning. This usage implies a lack of computer savvy, asserting that problems arisen ...