According to the IT expert and the mastermind behind the ‘IT Humor and Memes’ Facebook group, Trevor Paquette, IT-based humor has certainly evolved over the years, reflecting the changes in technology and its role in society. “In the early days of computing, humor was often centered around the esoteric nature of the field, with jokes about programming languages or hardware that were accessible only to those within the profession. As technology has become more common, IT humor has broadened its appeal,” he explained.
“Jokes and memes now often play on the frustrations and idiosyncrasies of consumer technology, social media, and the internet culture at large. Humor about video call glitches, autocorrect fails, and the not-so-smart aspects of smart technology are relatable to a wider audience.”
“The evolution of IT humor has also been influenced by a form of 'brand allegiance,' where individuals align themselves with specific technologies or companies, such as Microsoft vs. Linux or Android vs. iOS,” Trevor continued. “This can sometimes lead to a protective stance when humor targets their chosen platform. What might be intended as light-hearted jokes can escalate into heated debates, or ‘tech wars,’ as individuals defend their preferences with a passion that reflects the deep personal and professional investment they have in their chosen ecosystem.”
(If you’re curious, in the Android vs. iOS battle, the former seems to be the more popular mobile operating system, in Europe at least, comprising roughly 65% of European mobile phones.)
“Humor targeting these rivalries can be particularly divisive and can spark ‘comment cage-matches’ where discussion threads become battlegrounds for fans and detractors alike,” the IT expert suggested.
Paquette pointed out that moderators on forums and social media platforms often have to intervene to prevent said ‘tech wars’ from becoming too incendiary. “It’s a double-edged sword; while humor can be a way to poke fun at and thus cope with the idiosyncrasies and frustrations of technology, it can also inadvertently provoke hostility in environments where brand loyalty is strong.
“This ‘protectionism’ in IT humor underscores the broader cultural trend where technology choices are seen as extensions of personal identity. Jokes that in past decades might have been dismissed with a chuckle can now be taken as personal affronts, as they're seen as criticizing not just a product but a lifestyle or even a worldview. This dynamic can stifle the light-hearted nature of humor, requiring a careful balancing act to navigate between making universal jokes that won't offend and poking fun at the peculiarities that make the IT world so diverse and engaging.”
Discussing the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on online content and IT humor in particular, Trevor agreed that the latter has definitely been influenced by AI, particularly in online communities.
“With AI, users can create humorous content more easily, customizing memes or generating jokes with tools that didn't exist a few years ago,” he explained. “AI-driven platforms can suggest funny captions, create images, or even write comic strips based on user prompts. This has lowered the barrier to content creation, allowing more people to participate in IT humor. It has also led to a meta-layer of humor, where AI's occasional failures or misunderstandings become the joke themselves.”
“While AI's contributions to IT humor and content creation are significant, it's essential to acknowledge that AI still has a considerable way to go, particularly when it comes to more nuanced and esoteric tasks like humor,” the IT expert continued.
“AI excels at dealing with data, analytics, and increasingly, in automating routine coding tasks, but when it comes to the creative and interpretive aspects of humor, it can fall short. Humor often relies on shared cultural references, timing, and an understanding of human emotions and subtleties that AI has yet to fully grasp.”
“The comparison of AI to an entry to mid-level coder is quite apt. Much like such a coder, AI can handle a wide array of tasks with efficiency and can often produce work that seems 'mostly right.' However, just as a junior programmer's code would require a review and oversight by a more experienced developer, AI-generated content—especially humor—needs a human touch to ensure it resonates and is appropriate. The understanding and generation of humor also often require a level of context understanding and delivery that AI can misinterpret or apply incorrectly.”
Trevor emphasized that online communities often shed light on instances where AI misunderstands a prompt or creates a nonsensical or humorously incorrect output, like erroneously validating that 1 + 1 could equal 4. These examples are shared both as entertainment and as a reminder of the limitations of current AI technology. “They serve to highlight that while AI has advanced significantly, it still lacks the depth of understanding that comes naturally to humans. It's a demonstration that AI, in its current state, is not infallible and that its 'missteps' can be sources of humor in themselves.”
Whether it’s AI, IT, or programming that you're interested in the most, you’ve likely experienced both how frustrating and fun(ny) certain situations relating to any of them can be; and, as said before, that the joy and suffering caused by it often go together. If you’re not convinced, check out these memes covering what IT professionals have to deal with every day, as shared by Trevor’s Facebook group ‘IT Humor and Memes’, and make sure of it yourself.