The Username Blame Game

(I’m a specialist in an employment office, and a woman is trying to create a profile on Walmart’s website:)

Woman: “I’m trying to put in my password and it’s not taking it. It keeps rerouting me back to another page.”

Me: “Are you trying to log in to your account, or create a new one?”

Woman: “I think I’m trying to create a new one.”

(I go to look at her computer:)

Me: “It says the username you’ve entered is already in use.”

Woman: “Really? Where?”

(I point to a reeeeaaaally bright red sentence against the white backdrop.)

Me: “Right there.”

Woman: “…oh.”

(This woman used to be a secretary and she wanted to be again, but she could barely operate a computer, and couldn’t even see bright red lettering less than a foot from her face.)