Forum Moderators: phranque
"Of course it depends how narrowly you define "webmaster", because it can mean anything from graphic designer or programmer to a business person who runs the site but isn't involved in the actual building of it, plus many other sub-categories of webmaster jobs in between.'
How do you define webmaster?
regards
Henry
Last tv program I watched regularly was Star Trek - the ORIGINAL one - in b&w (I think it was in color, but we were the last family in Vegas to have a color tv....)
I actually just never have had much interest in tv as "amusement" - it's the timewaster to end all timewasters, and very little more.... I do watch (well, listen to - the tv's behind me while I'm at the computer) football, baseball, basketball, horse racing and rodeo; the Olympic equestrian events and ice skating events; and the decent hunting shows on OLN.
However, if my husband weren't around, I wouldn't even own a tv....
Here is Webster: [sitcomsonline.com...]
That's what I think of when I hear that someone is a 'Webster' :)
I started this thread from reading in another thread
Rosalind comments [webmasterworld.com]
an interesting comment
Which triggered the present thread
However now somehow diluted!
Think about it
How many times have you encountered someone that will state even if you didn’t mention it
"So you are a web master.." "BTW what exactly is a WM?"
Regards
So what is a webmaster to me? A webmaster is someone that knows how a computer works, software programs, resolve hardware, software and firmware problems. A webmaster knows Computer programming languages, network administration, routers, hubs, various computer platforms, from AS400s, NT, Linux, email administration, network security, encription, web site design and developement using HTML, Java, Java Scripts, CGI, PL, XML, CSS, PHP and graphics. A Webmaster does understand how the Internet works from Internet Marketing, Advertising, web site promotion and search engine optimization. Being a webmaster is truly a multi-facited title and honestly a endless list of things we can do with computers and on the Internet.
I received my Computer Science Degree and Business Administration. I have kept up with computer programming since 1983. Born a geek girl, and yes I did receive this gift from my father an original Geek!
I am also in PHP, but you forgot mentioning ASP
Watch your back the ASP coders might make a move :)
Regards
Henry
because while I have wondrous pictures in my imagination, I can't get them into a visual medium of any sort. In other words I'm not an artist.
My dear lady, if you can imagine wondrous images, you are, indeed, an artist. There are many technicians masquerading as artists, and many, many artists who haven't yet mastered a physical medium.
rocknbil:
I work for an an ISP...People pay you $12-$20 month for a domain, they are somehow under the impression that you are responsible for helping them make it all work... if it's broke it seems like the first thing they do is call.
Yes, you have a valid gripe BUT I am knowledgable and I use such hosting firms and I wonder:
Why do these ISP tech support guys prefer to fix the problem behind the scenes and then tell me "I tried it and it seems to be working", instead of acknowledging that someone wasn't right and offering to fix it (or reporting it as fixed)? It happens frequently, and I have the dig/tracert/nslookup/DNS/ini/conf evidence to prove it.
As for webmasters...
Unfortunately webmaster is practically a derogative term nowadays. In the corporate world it pays relatively little, and therefore little is expected of them. Too many clueless managers seek out a webmaster with full expectation that the webmaster will do everything for them as if it were magic (write content, code, graphics, sysadmin, set strategy, foster business aliances, budget, procure, train, etc).
To me a good webmaster is worth as much as a good DBA.
Title does not imply qualifications, and unfortunately it seems the webmaster category is bottom heavy with inexperienced or entry-level web workers. What Director of Internet Strategy or VP of Internet Operations wants to be called a webmaster? (even though thatis very often exactly what they are!)
I do maintain after all 500 websites that make a lot of money.
Isn't there any other title I can call myself?
If you own all of the sites, do all of the work yourself and make a lot of money, I think you can call yourself anything you want.
Crikey, by all accounts here I am no webmaster!sad
I won't argue with you as I can't even use dreamweaver properly, little own master html or other codes or do any programming, but what do I call myself?
I do maintain after all 500 websites that make a lot of money.
You have posted 836 time to webmasterworld. Maintain 500 websites that all make money but don't know how to use dreamweaver, don't know html, and have no programming experience.
Define 'maintain'? Thats like saying your a car mechanic that fixes 20 cars a day but doesn't know a wrench from a screwdriver.
Maintain 500 websites that all make money but don't know how to use dreamweaver...
He said he didn't know how to use Dreamweaver properly, which could mean anything from he only knows the basics to he isn't a Dreamweaver expert.
>>>Thats like saying your a car mechanic that fixes 20 cars a day but doesn't know a wrench from a screwdriver.<<<
Yes it is like that.I am a webmaster that builds 20 sites a day but doesn't know a 301 from a 302.Amazing hey!? Most of my sites were made on windows 95 using dreamweaver3 on a 2nd hand pass me down computer.Yet I made $400,000 profit last year.
I can't believe it myself.:)
My last and final guess is your a private eye that takes photos of people in compromising situations and then puts a webpage up with the pictures and tell them if they don't pay up you will sent a link to their significant other or parents.
Yes, you have a valid gripe BUT I am knowledgable and I use such hosting firms and I wonder:
Why do these ISP tech support guys prefer to fix the problem behind the scenes and then tell me "I tried it and it seems to be working", instead of acknowledging that someone wasn't right . . .?
It was not a gripe, it was an explanation to another question. As for your question - can't answer that, our company doesn't work that way. If an upgrade was performed that disabled a site feature - our T.S. says so.
It was not a gripe, it was an explanation to another question.
Sorry... mine looks like a gripe though.
Dreamweaver3? Well, perhaps there's a clue. If I had 500 sites online from the days of Dreamweaver3 they would have pretty strong search engine perseverance...and high PR and how many high PR backlinks after what, 8 years online?
I should have perhaps phrased a bit more cogently, in that while I'm not an artist in physical media, since I write (and logically that's where my mental "images" land) I DO consider myself "artisitic" in that way....
And back on topic: I STILL prefer "webbie"....
A webmaster is a dog anyone in the company can kick if they feel like it....
LOL! That is AWESOME! haha! I was just telling my wife last night, "You know, if I look at my company through the glasses of Office Space, I come to the frightening conclusion that I AM the stapler guy."
BTW seeing I don't qualify for webmaster I have decided to call myself a web tycoon.
BTW I am currently working with one company in town that is working with ASP, the IT folks created templates for all the other offices to use. So each office thinks they have a webmaster/website designer. Why because they update they content on their part of the site using CSM and ASP. Umm what more can I say there...
I have been on roof tops trying to resolve network/hub problems when it was 118 in a dress, then making a board meeting for a presentation to the members and pres all sweaty and then down to the basement taking out virus. Along with doing my job with the Internet/intranet and other duties. It was a handful and it seems once they know what you can do they just ask for more and more. PHP is fun and I should do more of it. For that matter I have been working so hard as of late I need to plan just have some fun. Girlz really do just want to have fun~~~
Warmest Regards
Zenn
I have been on roof tops trying to resolve network/hub problems when it was 118 in a dress, then making a board meeting for a presentation to the members and pres all sweaty and then down to the basement taking out virus. Along with doing my job with the Internet/intranet and other duties. It was a handful and it seems once they know what you can do they just ask for more and more. PHP is fun and I should do more of it. For that matter I have been working so hard as of late I need to plan just have some fun. Girlz really do just want to have fun
I think this goes along with the "someone the company wants to kick" comment.
A "webmaster" should not be doing whatever is needed like this (virus eradicaton, rooftop datacomm troubleshooting, presentations) except in rare circumstances (equity partner, formal management training program, vacation coverage perhaps).
You can't be "all you can be" as a webmaster if you are doing these other chores. I would take it as a sign of poor management or strategic mis-management of your position. In either case there is not likely a good future for you in such a company (rare cases excepted, as noted -- I am not talking about giving 200% in a start-up when equity or reputation is the line)
Contact webmaster@hisorherhostsite.com usually would be understood as the place to report errors etc.
That person (Webmaster) may be very capable or incapable
but is the only one who has the password to update the website in question.
He or she may not even know how to read his or her email that you send. But still he or she is the reponsible party.
Hence he or she is that website's webmaster for better for for worst.
He or she may not even know how to update his or her site. But He or she is still the webmaster.
The term webmaster does not imply anything about technical abilities when you see webmaster@anysite.com at the bottom of the page.
A "webmaster" should not be doing whatever is needed like this (virus eradicaton, rooftop datacomm troubleshooting, presentations) except in rare circumstances (equity partner, formal management training program, vacation coverage perhaps).
You can't be "all you can be" as a webmaster if you are doing these other chores. I would take it as a sign of poor management or strategic mis-management of your position. In either case there is not likely a good future for you in such a company (rare cases excepted, as noted -- I am not talking about giving 200% in a start-up when equity or reputation is the line)]
It was basically mismanagement on their part and your are correct! I am no longer working there... wonder why? It was their first job description/new position they had created for the organization. The IT manager wrote it to include his work as well as some of the AS400 programs work too. Which did included internet sites, intranets, mail administration, network administrator, rebooting all servers for the property, applying security patches to systems, networking security, network trouble shooting, oncall status, meetings with Marketing, Advertising etc and when needed backup for two IT Techs. (can we say understaffed)
Presentations to board members was included due to their investments and need to understand the relationship of the websites for the company structure. Plus they just plain through in things people did not wish to deal with etc. Now two years later they have 4 people doing the one position I held. I left for the very reasons listing above and more. Lessons learned by all. As for me I am on my own now and doing well.
Regards
Zenn
Just the other day, my friend, thinking he is doing me a great favor, tells me that his minor league football teams webmaster has left and they want someone to come in and build a new website. Nothing more than a forum, a roster with pictures, game calendar, and news page. Of course it will all have to be with matching team colors and design. Oh, and of course, I will have to take care of the hosting. Not to mention the hundreds of emails I will get from players and visitors alike asking questions on how to use the forum which they assume I will spend hour after hour over months of time answering.
I can do all of this and they will give me a whopping $500. It'll cost at least $200 to find decent enough hosting service that I wont be getting a load of emails everytime the host goes down. This leaves me with $300. Well, going by a rate of $80/hour this will give me almost 4 hours to complete and maintain the website.
I wonder what kind of website I can create and maintain in 4 hours. Sure, my reputation would be included in this website. The website would look like crap and people would think that I have no web skills and not hire me to make their websites.
They will spend $360/week to put a static add in the newspaper that reaches about 10,000 people but shelling out $500/year for a website that is accessable by everyone in the world is more than generous.
A good example why webmasters need better more descriptive names. Lets say the owner of this football team knows a dumb kid that goes around telling everybody he is a webmaster. Now the owner thinks any moron can be a webmaster. Sure the dumb kid only has a geocities account but the team owner doesn't know enough to differientiate between the two. He assumes this dumb kid can do it so it must be so easy that why on earth should he pay someone $80/hour to build one.
A)Title does not matter – although one needs a label if postulating for a new job and passing resumes around
B)Most important seems to be job description
And an important tip:
Try to figure if you are the first ever hired for the position
If so a requirement is to be gifted with ubiquity
Hmm found a definition for ubiquity doesn’t it sound familiar?
<<<
Existence or apparent existence everywhere at the same time; omnipresence: “the repetitiveness, the selfsameness, and the ubiquity of modern mass culture” (Theodor Adorno)
>>>
