I realized today that I am a cynic on the topic of web-designers.

Rather, web experts. People who make a living doing nothing but giving other people feedback on their sites, because they have some hidden tattoo that gives them access to the inner sanctums of the digital universe.

I know Orange doesn’t work on a green background; I don’t need anyone to point that out.

• There are people who can design sites better than I can. I respect them greatly.
• There are people who consistently come up with a better visual look than me and who can wrap Photoshop around their left pinky. I envy them.
• Java programmers, flash users. Dreamweaver people. All wonderful.

Doesn’t mean you’re a “web expert”.

Why? Pretty simple: there has yet to be one interesting ‘trick’ I’ve seen on any website that I haven’t been able to (a) figure out how they did it (b) modify it (not copy, that’s important) and use for myself.

Think about that. I’ve written documents for every job I’ve ever held and I can’t build a style style sheet in Word.

But I can figure out their ridiculously complex crap. So maybe it’s not that complex?

I don’t have a problem with web designers. It’s a viable profession and I respect those who make a living at it. If you’ve done it a long time, that’s even better, but there isn’t a Wizard’s Curtain, and you’re not standing behind it.

Don’t tell me you’ve got a super-secret XMQVTML-tag that only you have discovered that will rocket your site to the top of Google within 23 hours. That’s bullshit you’re speaking, and I won’t hear it.

so, you have some issues here. i hear you. well, as clearly as i can as i back away slowly.

i make websites. i'm not great at it but my clients seem to love me because i return their phone calls and don't lie to them. and yes, anyone wishing to figure this out, everything's out there on the web to be figured out.

but it's really just a few 'experts' making all this whiny noise, the rest of us are out here quietly doing our jobs and not spouting our mouths off.

I hear you too :)

Remember: "I don't have a problem with web designers. It's a viable profession and I respect those who make a living at it. If you've done it a long time, that's even better..."

That's true. It really is. My problem (brought out today on this crabbiest of all days) is with the 1% of every profession that insists they are the only people in the world who 'know'.

Worse (what I've been dealing with today): People who DON'T know, trying to defend that 1 percent.

Ugh.

I'm not dangerous, I swear. Just hand me some Reese Pieces.

oh, believe me, i resent that annoyingly vocal '1%' as much as you do. and i recognezed that crab, you know, i get that way too. the experts make it difficult for those of us that are here plugging away.

then again, your abilities with figuring out webstuff are not that ordinary. not everyone can figure this out. i know this all too well. so sometimes, i am, well, not an expert but a person that knows a hell of a lot more than my clients, and i have to advise them. educate them. explain why spinning things and scrolling banner text are bad, etc, withouth pontificating or coming off like one of those snarky elitist experts.

*sigh* as long as you let me share the Reese's Pieces, nobody gets hurt.

Orange can be perfectly at home on a green background...just gotta be an artist as well as a web designer. :P