I Am Not a Webmaster

I am not a webmaster. I am not. I am not. I am not.

Is it clear now?

I design websites professionally. Website development is what puts food into the bellies of my children. It is what keeps the rain and snow off our beds. It is what puts new clothes on my wife’s body when she loses ten dress sizes. It is my bread and butter.

As a new media professional, I want a moniker that esteems professionalism and reflects my work over the past seven years. At the very least, I want a title that does not instigate laughter, derision and disrespect.

“Webmaster” is the epitome of what I do not want. It invokes images of high school juniors in a basement pushing out 25$ FrontPage websites. It gives the business world the impression that I started web design just yesterday. It is amateurish, unprofessional and “frankly” idiotic.

So, stop calling me it. I am not a webmaster. I am not a web guru. I am not the “web guy” at the Faculty of Management.

“Website Developer” seems to do the job for now.

By Kim Siever

I am a copywriter and copyeditor. I blog on writing and social media tips mostly, but I sometimes throw in my thoughts about running a small business. Follow me on Twitter at @hotpepper.