If IT’s condescending attitude resulted in nothing more than a few hurt feelings, it wouldn’t be such an issue. But the attitude causes much bigger problems: It gives IT a free pass, the right to blame mistakes on users…who are, after all, too stupid to know what they’re doing. There’s a litany of problems with software: poor interface design, bugs, and an absurd number of security problems. Of course, IT blames sloppy interfaces on computer illiteracy, software bugs on poor user requirements (lusers just don’t know what they want), and security problems on user stupidity.

Consider a common problem: inconsistent and confusing interfaces. What if other businesses placed the blame for inconsistent interfaces on their customers? What if, for example, some Ford cars had the brake pedal on the right, and the gas pedal on the left, the exact opposite of how it’s done today? Worse still, what if the pedals changed functions while you were driving? Would automakers say: “Look, we explained the way the pedals worked in the owner’s manual. And whenever the pedals are about to change functions, you can feel a tug in the transmission – it’s unmistakable. Anyone who knows anything about cars can figure it out. We can’t help the fact that drivers are too stupid to get it.”

As a user, my ineptitude gives IT grounds to dismiss my feedback and scoff at my complaints. Especially my complaints: Forget him, he just doesn’t get it. Too often users are the scapegoats for poorly-designed and shoddily built software: “The lusers’ deadlines were unrealistic! “The lusers changed the requirements!” or “The lusers forced us to dumb the application down!” And on and on.

It’s true all of these things – overambitious deadlines, changing requirements, and design compromises –contribute to failed software projects. But IT doesn’t seem to understand (or care) that deadlines and requirements and compromises are all driven by legitimate business needs. No, these things happen because their customers are lusers: hopelessly clueless, moronic, and idiotic.