What do you call yourself...?

Web Designer/Developer/programmer...? Guru?

[Harley_m]

I simply refuse to be called a web designer any more - there are just so many millions of people with frontpage who call themselves WD's that its driving me nuts - i spoke to one guy the other day who claimed to be - upon question of his skills - he didnt even know frontpage - and was building websites in Word...

What is your job title...?

[Gibble]

I prefer internet programmer since I do programming with PHP, Perl, ASP, etc

[mivox]

I try not to call myself anything... hehehe. Simply a "designer" oft times, since I also do print design. However, for the internet side of things, I think "Web Architect" is a nice one, especially for folks like me, who handle graphic design, html/xhtml coding, cgi installation and customization, and everything else ourselves.

Architect suggests a more all-encompassing approach to the work than "programmer" or "designer" by themselves. While I'm not qualified to call myself a programmer, I do a lot more than just design.

[Shakil]

"e-commerce architect" or "traffic driver"

although a most people probably call me something which would result in this post being removed.

Shak

[edited by: Shakil at 9:32 pm (utc) on Jan. 2, 2003]

[chameleon]

Well, I own the company, so I guess my title is "President", but I see your point.

Personally, I've always broken things down this way:

Web Designer - Someone who handles the graphical end of the site's "look and feel". This may include some basic HTML work, but generally it's more Photoshop and Flash.

Web Developer - Someone who handles the broader coding of a web site - ASP, PHP, ColdFusion, database integration, e-commerce, etc.

I agree with your assessment of the marketplace as well. There are far too many people with a copy of FrontPage who call themselves "Web Designers" or "Web Developers". They (generally) produce horrible work, charge ridiculously low rates, and go out of business in less than six months.

[SlyGuy]

I hate the term "web designer"

blah!

My business cards say "Creative Director" and I'm comfortable with that.

- Chad

[mivox]

My business cards say "Creative Director"

;) My business cards say my name. hehe

[jimbeetle]

I'm an editor. Always have and always will be. And I think editor flows nicely from marking up a manuscript to the 'markup' in HTML, which in it's early days was simply electronic copyediting.

[fathom]

fathom

[crosenblum]

I agree with you a 1000% chameleon.

I am a Web Developer, I am an application creater/maker.

A Web Designer handles graphics/layout.

A Web Developer takes those designs and creates code/applications around them.

I am also getting to feel comfortable with what I hope to be my next title. Ecommerce Developer, specifically creating applications with ecommerce in mind.

[SlyGuy]

My business cards say my name.

Perhaps that is why I keep getting those strange phone calls asking for Mr. Director.

;)

[lorax]

"Me. A name I call myself. Fa. A long long way..."

Developer. I include the design of the page layout but draw the line at artwork.

[dingman]

I go for "web developer" right now. I'd happily work with a good designer, but that's not where my strength lies and I know it. I have been toying with the idea of switching to "web programmer" on the theory that the unwashed masses might have a little better idea what it means, but haven't done it yet.

[AmericanBulldog]

Sorry, can't resist...

Grand Poobah
Supreme Leader
Master of my domain
.
.
.
Mostly, I call myself Dad, comes with the territory

[crosenblum]

That's too funny, American Bulldog.

The real key behind all this, is the ignorant masses, who refuse to use their brain cells. I have no problem explaining myself.

But it's gets frustrating when they don't try to figure it out themselves.

[ritualcoffee]

oh - I got a fun one...

Search engine and web metrics specialist

aka web developer

[web_india]

I don't call myself anything, only others do :)

[jackofalltrades]

"my pc has this problem...." is my name.

Or at least thats what people say to me most often...

[web_india]

>"my pc has this problem...."

I hope you don't want to say that you are the problem ;)

[jackofalltrades]

I usually respond:

"I studied marketing - i dont have a clue how to fix your computer - just because i run the website doesnt mean i can fix computers - go away and leave me alone!"

or

"Plug it in"

;)

[crosenblum]

Ha ha, this thread is so freakin funny.

Hey is anyone a fan of BOFH?

Anyways, there are so many freakin titles, does it really matter?

I have to generally tell my employer's what to call me, and that is usually to not call me 24 hours a day.

Is there any humor/stress relief websites for us web developers?

[excell]

I generally shriek at client.. I am not a web designer, in the same manner one would say "I am not an elephant".. they say then what are you doing? I say I market businesses on the Internet, I am an Internet Business Consultant, but I can also design web sites.. LOL

[jimbeetle]

>>just because i run the website doesnt mean i can fix computers - go away and leave me alone!"

And you're danged if you do and danged if you don't. So you help them out because they happen to be a client. Spend a few hours tracking down the problem. Get a call two days later "Why aren't our pages updated yet?" The same pages you were working on when...

[bcc1234]

Hmm, in the early boom days my business card said "e-Business Solution Developer", a bit later in another company - "Chief Technology Officer".
And now, I'm self-employed and call myself consultant - plain and simple :)
Consultant, pretty much = a whore :)
Hmm, I pick my clients, I set my rates, and I work at night.
Damn, I am a whore :(

[chameleon]

God Bless ****es :)

I used to tell my employees that we were ****es. When a client calls and says "Can you do <blah blah bla>", our answer is always "Yes!". If we don't know it, we'll figure it out, or subcontract someone who does.

After a while, I realized that I really wanted to be in the check cashing business. Just give me the checks, and I'll cash them. My bank is very relaxed -- they'll take as big of a check as you can write!

Doing the work is really secondary :)

Disclaimer: Yes, of course I'm kidding. All characters presented are fictional. Any resemblence to actual people, places or logic is completely coincidental. No llamas were injured in the posting of this rant.

[crosenblum]

Too funny.

I really don't care, all i care about is if i get paid, and how frequentally.

What get's really hard is not caring, if they make stupid decisions and then don't like facing the consequences of them. Then when I try to warn them, they tell me to mind my own business. They'd rather blindly go into the fires, and just hope things work out.

Arggggggggggggh!

[mat_bastian]

Hi my name is mat bastian. I run a web presence and promotion business.

[Gibble]

"Not Free"

[bcc1234]

"Not Free"

LOL, that's a good one.

[fathom]

By the wit of these posts I can see 2003 is going to be a good year.

As far a title:

In submarines: Chief of Operations (CHOPS)

On Warships: Anti Submarine Warfare Director (ASWD) which changed to Anti Surface Warfare Controller (ASWC)

On leaving the military for private practice: Any Director title would do.

I sub-contract my services so clients can benefit thus a few title have come about depending on which company it is:

Director of E-marketing
Director of Internet Services
E-marketing Consultant, and
Consultant

but again I prefer - fathom (It can easily be used as a noun, verb, adverb, and adjective)

Not hard to fathom!