Have you tried turning it on and off again

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Definition from Wikipedia
Quote from the show The IT Crowd (2006–2013), a British comedy written by Graham Linehan. The comedy follows Jen, Moss, and Roy and their work in the IT department, based in the basement of Reynholm Industries. The scene script it comes from: Roy Trenneman: [picking up the phone] Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again? Uh... okay, well, the button on the side, is it glowing? Yeah, you need to turn it on... uh, the button turns it on... yeah, you do know how a button works don't you? No, not on clothes.

Definition (as used by xpub1)
A joke used while working with many different machines that may or may not include an on/off button. Not everyone is familiar with the origin of the joke, but it is commonly known as the most basic question asked in relation to working with technology/getting a machine to work. It has become a sort of meme, a cultural memory of working with technology. Variations can include: Have you tried refreshing the page?, Have you tried turning it on and off again again?

Citation, Mentioned in

  • Prototyping class with Manetta. Manetta (paraphrased): If your computer does not register the plotter, type in exit() to leave chiplotle, turn off and on the plotter, and run chiplotle again
  • Colloquially it will be mentioned by everyone studying XPUB in one point or another

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See also: Pen Plotter