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August 10, 2001
deeds, not geeks
Geeks are often techies, but just as engineers think they can fix everything, techies think they are Webmasters. I get tired of hearing how some SQL database manager or network admin "knows HTML" and can "build Webpages". I have seen, fixed, and greatly improved such Webpages. Perhaps with the use of MS Word's Save to HTML option they can, but when it comes to fine tuning and tweaking the code, making their text readable, creating sites that are viewed the same on all browsers, and creating quickly downloaded graphics, nothing beats the skill of the Jack-of-all-Trades, Webmaster of Nothing skillset. In the end, when you let techies build Websites, you will ultimately have to get a Webmaster to come in and clean up the code, make the text pretty, and add usability to the site. Not to mention writing skill. Websites are not just an amalgamation of code, text and pixels, they are a form of media that adhere to rules of human visualization. Jimbo has spoken. techies and other Webmaster Wannabes: Fear My Power.
This rant was inspired by how job announcements in the D.C. Metro area have changed in a year's time. Employers are now looking for Web specialists with social and writing skills. They're tired of the asocial geek that hides in the cubicle, coming out only to confuse the manager with his or her babble about the pros and cons of DHTML versus JavaScript. You have to be able to translate to your manager or client what their options are, and how you can meet their needs. They probably don't need to know how you're doing it, they just need to know how long it will take. One job announcement required that you send an example of your code, in addition to the requisite URL's of your sites. Competent interviewers are now seeing if you wrote your own code, or if Word did.
On a lighter note: MADONNA, MADONNA, MADONNA!!!!! Madonna makes the Jimbo, be a big queen, yeah. Madonna, makes his arms go up in the air!!! Madonna. Tonight. 8pm. MCI Center Arena. Even if you are on the West Coast, you will hear me squealing from there. Perhaps because I post things like this, none of the companies I send resumes to call me back?
Posted by jimbo at August 10, 2001 2:47 PM
Comments
I was handed the task of working with our webmaster because my supervisor couldn't communicate with her. The webmaster kept referring to "administrative" and "production" webpages but never explained what that meant to my boss. I am careful to make my requests to the webmaster in short, discrete, very literal language so that my request might be translated correctly into techie language.
Posted by: Travis (fear my judgment) at August 13, 2001 3:50 PM