I've noticed another big factor here is how often & in what order I use all the things I plug into my computer. I use a MacBook, so all the ports are on the left. If I plug in my USB, then power, then audio, etc, every time I do so I pull the wire I'm plugging in to the top of the stack. Doing this often causes the wires to become knotted/woven together.

Anyway, you're right about this article applying more to earbuds, they talk about coiled string in a confined space.