Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Steven Champeon <schampeo AT hesketh.com>]

on Tue, Nov 05, 2002 at 10:48:10AM -0500, Austin, Roger D. wrote:
>  I would note that perhaps the web developer type of job has been 
> oversold as a career.

We saw a lot of folks who claimed to be "Web designers" basically have
their job go away or their business dry up in the 2000-2001 timeframe,
based on discussions on my Web design mailing list. IMHO, overall it's
been good for the industry to have those who aren't serious about
development or markup go back to whatever it was they were doing before.

But, for the most part, that was designers, not developers. I don't
think anyone who knows a bit about programming has anything to worry
about. Especially the ones who are good at it. Probably the biggest
threat to programmers nowadays is that the crazy high payscales they
demanded, and got, during the last five years are finally collapsing
back down to reality.

> What I see is many people who perform this task are also doing a range
> of other activities and are not just web developers.

Yeah, maybe. I see a lot of really piss-poor Web sites, too.

> I do server admin, dba activities, programming, desktop maintenance,
> and a variety of other chores.

Well, aside from "desktop maintenance", I'd say you've defined a "Web
developer" role pretty much perfectly. Platform, data store, logic.

> I also have other management type of responsibilities.

It's not that common, in my experience, to mix developer and managerial
roles. I do, to a certain extent, but realistically speaking it's more
due to the size of our company and my relationship to it than to
anything inherent in the role itself.

> Personally, I think that someone who is starting out should probably
> increase their skill set so they can do multiple things. Few companies
> need a single employee dedicated to web development or design.
> (Especially in downturns.)

More to the point, the many companies who do expect one person to do all
of their Web-related tasks are wildly underestimating the task. It was
common in the go-go nineties to expect a developer who could do HTML and
build a database and admin a Unix server and write copy and do design,
but I think the pool of Renaissance folks was exhausted pretty quickly
(take that however you like ;).

>  I may get flamed for saying so, but web development is probably not
> at the top of on-going business requirements. (Excuse me while I
> duck...) Most people don't have to build a site but once in a while
> and a well designed site should be easy to maintain. A lot of
> businesses are outsourcing this now and getting rid of web staff to
> manage costs.

Great! Send the work this way. Just as long as these businesses all
understand that there are many roles involved in creating, maintaining
and extending a Web site, just as there are many roles involved in
corporate communications, marketing, accounts receivable, technical
support, press/partner/investor relations, or any of several other kinds
of efforts.

The mistake so many companies and people make is in assuming that
because it's "on the Web page" it can be handled by someone who can
maintain HTML. Do you trust your financials, press releases, software
development, and billing to someone whose only skill is typing? I hope
not. But so many companies confuse the media with the message or the
larger, more important skillsets. It's silly.

And those companies who cut marketing, press and customer relations, and
other related activities and expenditures during a downturn are eating
their seed corn.

S

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