Why I Secretly Love Hate the Term “Webmaster”
Published 18 Apr 2005
The converstation goes something like this:
“This is my wife/friend Andrea.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.”
Shaking of hands. He (because this only happens with men, why is that?) then asks,
“What do you do?”
“I’m the Web Manager for HSU. “
Blank look. Gears of mind creaking as he tries to figure out what “Web Manager” means. So I throw him a bone.
“Webmaster.”
“Oh!”
Then he proceeds to mime out some kind of dominance scenario: karate chopping, whip cracking, etc, while he repeats the term,
“Webmaster!”
And I realize that I may as well be standing there in leather, fishnets, and a dog collar, because his mind instantly goes “Webmaster…, but she’s blonde and a woman…, so that makes her a Web*mistress!*”
And once the word “mistress” enters his mind, I may as well kiss all pretenses of being a serious career woman goodbye. That is always the last question I get asked about my professional life. Actually, that’s usually the last question I get asked at all.
One of these days I’m just going to snap, and when we get to this point, I’m going to yell,
“Get down on your knees an lick my boots! Do it now! I mean it, bitch! Don’t give me that look!”
And it’s going to be some vice president, and I’m going to lose my job and have to put Google ads on this blog to try to eke out a living.
That term is bad for the career of every woman with a sense of humor.
So what do I call myself?
Well, at SXSW there were quite a few principals (not to mention principles), lots of Dirs and Creative Dirs, and quite possibly my favorite, Dir Web & Creative Services.
Then of course, there’s Molly, who listed herself as “Pres”, but who gets by perfectly fine being known as just “Molly”.
So what do you think? What’s the best title for someone who’s in charge of the whole University web site? Some who works with a team of one, and so has to be designer, developer, manager and director?
In: Coffee at my Desk
This is the section that contains all of my professional articles — serious, no-nonsense stuff that you may need caffeine to get through.
Cocoa on the Couch
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This time I have a valid excuse, though — major life changes are afoot. Most of you that are …More »
Margarita on the Rocks
Meet me in Austin
I am leaving bright and early tomorrow morning (like at 4am, sheesh) to attend my 4th SXSW. I’m really looking forward to getting out of Dodge for a while, …More »
Commentary
goodwitch writes
Apr 18 at 02:19 PM #
Webmaster, webmistress, accessibility goddess, gadget girl, pda princess…honestly, I love all these names. But I’m usually surrounded by a bunch o’ technogeeks…
But I do see your point…where a non-tech male might fixate on the word master…
Idea o’ the day…don’t give them that word to play with…stick with the title you prefer (whether that be web manager, creative director…) and immediately describe the coolest project you’ve ever worked on…in a sentence or too.
Leave them thinkin’...damn…she is smart, gorgeous and knows more about technology than all the people in this room combined.
dan writes
Apr 19 at 04:45 AM #
How about User Experience Architect?
Nat writes
Apr 19 at 05:23 AM #
Straight faced, and with utmost sincerity and seriousness: “Well actually, I’m a rocket scientist. What do you do?” (head cocked in inquisitive slant)
Andrea writes
Apr 19 at 09:51 AM #
In a related post by Andy Budd , Jon Hicks states that he demands that clients refer to him as “Big Chief NoFontTags”. I think I may have to go with that for a while and see how it fits.
Bill writes
Apr 20 at 08:30 AM #
My business cards used to say “New Media Designer”, but everyone I worked with and my boss always referred to me (to clients) as “webguy” or “web guru”… which always made me picture Buddha in a meditative pose with a laptop.
Jamin writes
Apr 21 at 07:41 AM #
If by “team of one” you mean you are the Web team, why not call yourself that?
“What do you do?”
“I am the HSU Web team.”
Of course, that will probably cause just as much confusion.
Craig writes
May 6 at 04:41 PM #
I’m “Web Administrator” at my college and also a gang of one. I say “Web Admin” for short. Other people refer to me as “Webmaster,” “Web Guru,” and last week a student called me “shooter of all things trouble” (or something like that) when I straightened the CSS for their project out. I love “Big Chief NoFontTags” though and might have to appropriate that.
Paul Nozicka writes
May 10 at 12:10 PM #
A title is just a title…a moniker. More important is how the org chart is and the institutes philosophy behind their web presence. You will see in time that more colleges/universities will place their web team under university advancement at the same level as public affairs. This is where many private sector companies have gone and rightfully so. An institute that puts their web team under academic technology or under computing services philosophically has an archiac view of the web. The web isn’t technology and it isn’t digital paper…it is simply a communications tool. Although it is technology-based it is still only a communications tool. When this philosophy is embraced and the org chart modified to reflect this you will see university sites that meet their end user’s needs (all end-user segments) and that meets business objectives. Look for more universities to move away from “webmasters” and more towards Manager/Director of Web Communications.
Andrea writes
May 10 at 12:32 PM #
Thanks a lot Paul—I may have to quote you on this. My university is caught up in the “where does the web belong” political game right now, and people are starting to pull out the “this is how other CSUs do it” ammunition.
I may have to fire back with “this is what the web professionals at other CSUs think the future will be like”.
I agree with you—the web doesn’t belong under IT, Public Affairs or Publications. It has things in common with all three, but is really its own entity with its own set of issues. My next article is addressing just these points.
I fear I have a big job ahead of me in educating the campus about the work that I do before they will be willing to look at me as a Manager or Director, though. But I forge ahead…
Chip writes
May 25 at 03:47 AM #
I like my title as well, even if I gave it do myself!
DeW writes
May 26 at 03:21 PM #
My title used to be Electronic Communications Manager, because I was involved with managing the main web site, doing web development for other departments, managing the campus e-newsletter, and planning for other electronic communication strategies (off-campus e-newsletters, blogs, etc). My duties have since expanded, and I’m now Associate Director of Operations for our office, but I still liked the scoped Electronic Communications Manager covered.
Bob writes
Jun 3 at 06:53 AM #
Sounds like you’re a Producer. But editor or Publisher my be better.
Sets you up for the inevitable future as Paul accurately writes.
I’m “Web Content Coordinator” in the PR & Marketing dept.
I love our IT group, but I’m glad to be in PR. It is where the Web belongs.
Ed Sharrer writes
Aug 31 at 12:02 PM #
I’m a webmaster and darn proud of it!
Actually, the reactions from people do get pretty lame at times. Oh well, it’s a conversation starter if nothing else…
Sunshine writes
Sep 2 at 10:26 AM #
My boss tends to introduce me as “the web tzarina” at staff meetings but I don’t think I can put that on my business card, especially since I’m not Russian.
When people ask me I say that I work with the web.
When pressed I use web admin but that sounds like more project/web server management than actual development. on the flip side web development doesn’t take the non-coding things into consideration. Web manager seems a bit more flexible.
Ian Tearle writes
Sep 28 at 04:28 AM #
Lovely site, very coffee’esk! some brilliant formatting, and good use of colours, P.S. Webmaster to me at least sound’s like a master of good web design! but i know what you mean.
Love to have that drink…