What is the most difficult thing to explain to a non-dev?

#discuss

Hey there DEV.to community!

I thought it might be a good discussion case to ask you what is the most diffult aspect of prorgamming or programming related things to explain to a non-dev that you have encountered?

Top comments (5)

Marco Damaceno • Mar 1 '20 • Edited

What do you do?
I'm a programmer. (me)
What is a programmer?
A person who makes software? (me)
Software?
Yes, a program that computers run. (me)
Can you fix my phone/facebook/laptop/instagram?
... (me)

Adnan Babakan (he/him) • Mar 1 '20

This is one of the most common ones and yet one of the most legendary ones. LOL

Ghost • Mar 2 '20

How broad and complex it is, knowing how to code is as vague as knowing how to build "stuff".

and

That I don't know how to fix their Windows PC (I don't use Windows) nor their iPhone and that I have no clue about Twitter, Facebook and stuff like that. Any technical knowledge will help to understand faster any of those but still doesn't mean I can instantly know how to work with them.

I guess is not exclusive to code tho, I'm an engineer so for years that made me immediately expert in bridges, I'm not THAT kind of engineer :D