It's not exclusive to programming or "tech", but computers are so pervasive while most folks' eyes glaze over at the simplest tasks. There are lots of folks wh

It's not exclusive to programming or "tech", but computers are so pervasive while most folks' eyes glaze over at the simplest tasks. There are lots of folks who don't know how to check their oil or check their tire pressure (or even whether they have a jack and a spare), but in the US we do have a general expectation that folks know how to do those things, so most folks learn. With computers or "tech", there are almost no expectations that folks should be able to do any maintenance or troubleshooting, so most folks don't learn. This is why "Is it plugged in" has to be the first question. Software developers don't always make it easier, but our expectations for users are also too low.