Why are you a web developer?

[Aidan Bahta]

Hello,

I'm planning on writing an article in the future that will cover why people choose to build sites. So, why do you build/design sites, program, or whatever it may be?

Thanks for all input.

[syanet]

For the money . I started to get out of my office job. Although that's a long way from happening, it's really the only thing that keeps me going during the day.

[iFroggy]

I wouldn't spend the amount of time that I do on it if I didn't enjoy it, profit from it, and believe that I can make my web work a real business in time and work.

[jumpthru]

For the fame, the fortune, and so that I can some day run my own huge successful company.

Plus I LOVE programming and computers. I truly belive it is something you are born with. Some people like baseball, some like music, some like arts...I LOVE programming and computers.

[lynlimz]

I do it for the joy of satisfaction. When I create a web site and people like it, the feeling is great. =) Its also a form of a hobby, or to kill time....basically just something I'll do If I have nothing else to do.

[webmasterlane.com]

I LOVE it!

I literaly go to bed looking forward to the next day when I can start working again. However, I also am a long way off from doing this full-time.

However, as I just finished college and am only taking 2 courses next semester(for my securities trading designation) I am going to work a lot more at this and try to make a career out of it.

I feel I have found a niche with the writing style I will be using for my articles. I tend to have a no-bull approach in which I do not add any filler, which makes my articles a quick and informative read. I understand this can be boring and am working on it so no comments, please!

[davidsmith]

Chicks dig it.

[BC]

Chicks dig it? I'll second that - they know it means 'I'm loaded'

Seriously, it was a hobby to begin with (and my Dad got me 'Teach Yourself HTML 3.2 in 24 Hours by D-i-c-k Oliver' for my 17th b'day) - it took off from there and it's now a reasonably profitable hobby. I'll eventually branch out into more information architecture/backend stuff, and web development gives me a great grounding.

[smirk]

FAME, FORTUNE and insomnia...

and webgrrrlls... grrr...

truth be told.. I just enjoy being able to work in a field that allows me to be creative artistically and work on some serious mind bending technical questions...

[mkaufman]

1) It's fun

2) Somewhat easy to make money..better then working at McDonalds or any other job not relating to computers

3) Feels great when somebody enjoys seeing what you do..

[TWTCommish]

Why? simple

1) It's profitable for people of my age - so I can do it right now. Better than most other jobs people my age have!
2) I enjoy programming, development and working with computers anyway.
3) It's prestigous in a way - most people are impressed and interested when you tell them you work on the web.
4) I love the thrill of success, and the thought of running a highly-trafficked website is very exciting.

[klisis]

Well, my mother used to tell me that website designer & programmers are good at siting on a chair for long time and it is a skill. I believe so. Take a person who likes to play physical game like football etc etc,the person would be close to death due to boredom if you force to sit him for the time you sit to create web pages and programs..
It's a gift to sit on a chair for long time...

[psalzer]

Addiction. That and the fact that there's always something to learn. The older you get the more valuable the chance to learn becomes in some ways. Keeps the brain cells alive.

I never planned on getting paid for doing web sites, but one thing leads to another..
It's been a most amazing thing for me, really. I'm 51 and although I went to school for programming in the 70's I stayed home with kids and things and entered the 90's with no real job skills and a work history that mostly included part time making-ends-meet type jobs. When I wanted a full time job I went to work on the packaging lines of a manufacturing company. I wasn't all that happy about it, though. Soon after that we finally got a PC. I meant to use it to develop better office skills, but discovered the web and got totally sucked into that. I loved it. One compensation for being so much older than a lot of you guys is that having lived so many years without this technology, I don't think I'll ever take it for granted. The fact that anyone can publish their work to the world still blows me away. It opens doors in ways that were impossible such a relatively short time ago.

Anyway, when my son joined a band in his late teens, I offered to create a site for it, completely overlooking the fact that I didn't know how. So, I learned a lot and it wasn't a total disaster. A while later another musician asked me to do his and that one came out a little better, and eventually people were asking me to do them for actual money. At my day job, I worked my way into a receptionist job and was located among the IT department. The guys there were kind and receptive to anyone who was interested in computers in just about any way and I learned a lot more. Then, when a new CIO and head of IT came into the company, they were just about the most open minded people in the world and didn't see a problem with giving a middle aged receptionist a chance to work on corporate web sites. So, now I'm an HTML hack there too. Hey - one person's grunt work is another person's promotion, right? I know this was long..but it's been a winding kind of road getting here.

[qslack]

1) Computers are better than the track team
2) For the money (assuming no *****y clients, if you have one of THOSE then it's a hassle)
3) You can stay up till 3am and no one really notices...

[Stuart Briscar]

I build site because it's fun and interesting and I get to meet a lot of people with the same interest.

[Wedge231]

I started because I thought it was a fun thing to do. Also, my best friend had just made one so I made one too. Now, it is just a hobby for me to do in my spare time. Hopefully if I get better, I can get a job as a web developer.

[Aidan Bahta]

Thanks for the replies.

I have given each of you Karma

[wdmny]

qslack: I like track!

[klisis]

..... What does Karma do?

[Aidan Bahta]

Originally posted by klisis
..... What does Karma do?

See "Karma Explained" at http://www.sitepointforums.com/showt...threadid=13020

[Timothy]

For me:

1) It's something I really enjoy and always feel like doing

2)The ability to make money doing something I like

3) Satisfaction of seeing a project completed or a least at a good stage (we're never really done, are we?)

4. Other people can benefit from the info you provide and enjoy the sites you make

[pheidrias]

I'm a man who wants to know what he does...
So I learned HTML long before I went online.
It was important for me to know, what is there behind the so called INTERNET.
And know I try to use and improve my knowledge...but I haven't found a client,yet ! Is there anybody out there ?

So I've learned, because I'm a human and a explorer in that way...


pheidrias

[Fluffykins]

Why do I web design?

1) It pays well.
2) As far as work goes, it's not that bad.

Personally I detest work. It's awful, gets in the way of your social life and is generally annoying. However, you can't live on thin air, and getting paid a half decent amount for something I enjoy sounds good to me.

Ady

[fixed a week old spelling mistake!]
<Edited by Fluffykins on 01-02-2001 at 09:52 AM>

[Sparkie]

I design websites because I enjoy seeing others benefit or learn from my work. If I can make things easier for hobbyists to share their interests online or for small businesses to reach out to a worldwide audience, then its worth it to me.

[Elledan]

Well, it's actually quite simple... I'm just a geek/nerd/freak... Technology has always attracted me, so a logical step would indeed be to develop my own site(s).

Money has absolutely nothing to do with it, but if I can make money out of it: that would be very nice