Poll: Do you like the term "Webmistress"?

Did you make this one up Jennifer?

I’ve never heard it used, but I imagine a lot adults sites use the term.

You’re right though (if it’s used) I’m from the UK and it means the same thing here, not a particularly nice title to have.

Sounds like someone one who sleeps with her servers. (I just had to say it!)

Mistress, in common usage, has such an overwhelming negative connotation I don’t like the term webmistress. If one dislikes the male connotation of master push toward gender neutrality.

I’m from Germany and I actually came across that title once or twice. I don’t like it either But some of my friends like to call themselves webmistresses. I guess because they do not think about the negative connotation or because they are so geeky they really almost sleep with their pcs *lol*

It’s the word “mistress” that gives the bad connotation. And, in this day and age, since the word “master” indicates a male gender, perhaps we should be trying to invent a new term for webmaster which does not differentiate gender. I hurt my brain trying to come up with a suitable term.

Webmistress is just ridiculous… I wouldn’t call myself a webmaster either. It’s outdated, coming from a time where most people knew very little about the workings of the web (early-mid 90s?).

Now days, anyone can take a course online and become a ‘webmaster’ of any CMS solution imo. =]

Tim: nearly every time I promote my question asking “what is your job title” someone responds that they call themselves a “webmistress”. I am not joking!

Maura: I’m not sure that “master” must indicate male. After all, I can state that I’m a “master of my fate” or a “master musician” and no one would assume that I’m male simply because of those terms. Or does it have to do with the field you’re a master in? Is a master carpenter automatically male? I would argue no, but I suppose some would argue yes…

How about Webperson?

Well, I’ve been doing web work for quite awhile, when it seemed as if everyone assumed you were a man, and with a name like Robin… well, you can figure that one out. So I actually adopted it a long time ago. I suppose I don’t use it often anymore, but it doesn’t bother me. I like your idea of know-it-all. Considering I’m in a female-centric profession (web work aside), you’d be surprised all the female oriented words “we” come up with to avoid the male names. We “woman” booths. Oh well I won’t go on.

Robin: good point. It’s interesting, because I also like to change genders on terms like you mentioned. But for some reason webmistress just rubs me the wrong way.

You see, the odd thing is, I’m usually annoyed at changing the genders on things like mailperson, womaning a booth etc. I find it annoying. There has actually been a lot written about the gender-neutral use of language in so many fields from birth to computers, religion to the workforce… It’s very interesting.

How about WebMstress! LOL

I’m a child of the 60′s and 70′s, and am so glad that the unisex revolution has died down.
Today, it’s so much more okay to be female. I studied and worked in a male-dominated field, and found I had to “look” the part.

Having said that, I still don’t like WebMistress, as Mistress has taken on too much unsavory meaning. But, I do feel like I am a mistress (err, slave) to my PC! But that attachment is purely by choice (I think).

And that’s, Ms. Ladybug, WebMstress (hmmm… that doesn’t seem too bad).

Ellen aka Ladybug

When this question popped up, I just had to add my 2 cents. I have never liked the words changed gender specific formats. Chairwoman and worst, chairperson. Lately it has been shortend to Chair. Firefighter is OK. The subject of mistress has been well covered. Don’t like it! I have no problem with webmaster (if I were one)

Honestly, I didn’t even think of it until you mentioned it. If someone is an expert of their field and is capable of teaching me something I don’t know, I don’t care if you want to call yourself “you majesty”. I think the connotation of the word might have to do with your state of mind rather than the intent of distinguishing between a man or woman.

I’m absolutely in favor of gender-neutral terminology whenever possible, and goodness knows “webmistress” is pretty awful. That said, I have a friend who seems to have characterized the relationship more accurately: he calls himself a “web slave.”

Personally, I prefer the term “webweaver.”

But I hate “webmistress” far more than I dislike “webmaster.”

Besides, who can really say they’ve mastered the whole web? Just when you think you’ve come close, it pulls some new surprise …

Robin sez >>We “woman” booths.

How about webwright? It is neutral for all who are paranoid about gender and it indicates a person of (oh no) journeyman capability.

I prefer Web Manager – although that can cause problems in a large organiation where the title Manager implies certain staffing responsibilities.

But when freelancing – yes.

This is way too funny!

With so much negativity about infidelity among marriages, Web mistress sounds like an easy pickup in a chat room or something like cyber trash.

I don’t believe the term Webmaster was ever intended to differentiate men from women as much as a title for someone who can make web sites. It probably came from some guys in a back room designing sites and one said; “Dude! You are the Master!” Not to be confused with Dungeon Masters they added “Web” to it.

ROFL

This sounds like a good one for Saturday Night Live…

Can you imagine… You’re in an elevator with a bunch of people and someone asks you what you do and you answer “web mistress” (now Poehler) – what a crack up!!

I call myself a web admin, because I think the term webmaster is a bit pretentious, but I do know some women who use the term “webster”, which is apparently the female form of the word “weaver”. Or maybe they’re just putting me on.

How about “Web Wrangler,” “Web Handler,” or “Web Gaffer”? BTW, I looked to the theater/film industry for inspiration on this. They have a couple of positions with the gender situation: best boy and property master. But other positions have neutral naming: key grip, for example, and various operators, designers, directors, producers. I guess it really depends on what you feel the Webmaster job entails. “Web Director” might just be the ticket. I also like “Web slave,” since it’s often descriptive of the situation.

I’m totally with you here, Jennifer. Good argument!

The few women I know who do prefer the term are all outspoken feminists, BTW.

how about

KNOWER OF ALL
DIVISION OF INFINATE KNOWLEDGE

people should lighten up
HAVE MORE FUN
POKE POMPASSITY

Someone is going to get a spanking! You’ve been a ‘bad’ wesite….

If Hillary Rodham Clinton wins and becomes President and is willing to use Presidentrix (or equal)then I guess it would be ok for Webmistresses.
Hal

An old term used for a member of a guild who passed all the tests of mastery of his craft was “Meister” This would eliminate the association of masculinity our language has with master, and add that bit of historical reference to the craft.

Hm. I don’t care one way or the other, but, then, I’m odd anyway. In one of my groups, WebMinister is a common usage; it sort of ties in with “web administration”.

I’ve signed some of my web-related emails as “web-messer” because sometimes one little change can just…

It’s similar to receiveing a Master’s degree. You don’t say you’re getting a “Mistress’s” degree. I think the term is used to show the level of knowledge. I think WebMistress is silly and I obviously wouldn’t use it, but I can see not using WebMaster by people due to the gender connotation, and opting for another term instead.

To me, “webmistress” sounds like a fantasy character. I thought of “the Widow of the Web” in “Krull” who lives in the center of a giant spiderweb and dresses all in black …

“Webmaster” on the other hand is the best thing I can come up with for the person who creates and maintains individual websites – yet I confess that when I sign an email regarding one of my sites as “Webmaster,” I always do think it sounds masculine.

Then again, if I used some special coined phrase, people would think I was being pretentious.

I was just wondering how would “webmistress” translate in italian, where the “ess” ending derives from italian/latin “essa”. We use the english word webmaster and to italian/latin thinking “webmistress” would mean “the webmaster’s wife”. Another example, we say “professore” (for “professor”) and “professoressa” for a female professor, but philologically “professoressa” means “the professor’s wife” …. so, as no one nowadays objects at being called professoressa, yet I do, since I am not married to any professore, yet I teach, as well as work as a … webmaster? Too much discrimination in most western languages, but can we try to change things without falling into ridicolus excesses?
Regards
Rita

Personally, I use the term “webservant” as my goal is to serve my clients. I want to communicate that I’m there to help them be more effective at whatever they do. Ah the joys of language – and semantics.

Some alternatives…webmeister, webbernaut, webwizard. If you don’t want to raise expectations too high, netnoodler, pixilpusher, webmodeler. Politically incorrect: webwitch.

I actually use the title webmistress but I didn’t realize how many people disliked it. To me it seemed rather humorous, gets a chuckle from the clients. I see no harm in using it….. but then I have the word temptress in my screen name. ; )

Laura: Well, there’s certainly no harm in using the term if it works for you. Especially if you and everyone you work with finds it simply humorous.

I think when it bugs me is when complete strangers address me as “Jennifer Kyrnin, Webmistress” – I mean, I don’t call myself that (of course, I don’t title myself “Jennifer Kyrnin, Webmaster” either…). My favorite appellation that a client gave me was “Web Goddess” but I think she was using that to flatter me into doing last minute jobs for her…

Quite frankly~I don’t care it they call me webmistress or webmaster. In my circle it is a term used with respect.

I am willing to consider whatever anyone wants to present to me, however; in the end the final decision is mine- and mine alone.

Too funny.. Someone else who gets this hung up on [rhetoric].. )

I use “webmistress” for fun.. I like it, but then I’m one of “those” who *do* see “webmaster” as being male oriented.. Stemming from what once at least had the appearance of being a male dominated field, as a matter of fact..

Quite an odd coincidence to see this today.. With all the linked data chatter going on, just this AM was thinking that I’m going to have to probably be changing out all my “webmistress” entries to “webmaster” soon.. That or.. Hm..

Wandering off now to venture the Net once again while contemplating the following definition just found re “mistress” (and I quoteth from Dictionary.com): “a woman who has authority, control, or power, esp. the female head of a household, institution, or other establishment”……..

Yup, “webmistress” *still* works for these fingertips..

Firstly, the web weaver/web manager phrases appeal because they are accurate yet vague, and gender-free. (By the way, my organisation neither “mans” nor “womans” booths or sales counters – we staff them.)

Secondly, being elderly, stout, grey-haired and ridiculously respectable in appearance, I enjoy the whiff of naughtiness when I call myself “webmistress”. (Just because I keep my memories to myself doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten earlier wilder times.)

Thirdly, I belong to a group of middle-aged embroiderers. Traditional embroidery. Crewel. The group is called “The Crewellas”. What does this mean I wonder?

Finally, when I saw the associated advertisements called up by this thread (e.g. How to train a slave/Meet local submissive gay men)I wondered if my gentle enjoyment of the webmaster/webmistress terminology wasn’t a bit naive for these times.

I call myself the webmistress in my blog to avoid confusion. People normally assume that the one who made the website is a man.

Just want to make it clear that I am a woman.

I like the controversy generated by the term webmistress as it evokes images of the mistress, illicit yet powerful.

A guy I work with introduced me today as ‘the webmistress’ … quite embarrassing. It does make me wonder how ‘master’ means one thing and its counterpart ‘mistress’ can mean something so entirely different. Anyway, I corrected him; I’m the Web Geek.

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Sounds dirty.

I don’t think the internet is the right place to discuss your problems with mistresses

I’d say the whole webmaster thing comes as a result of the role previously required for all domains: postmaster. This in turn comes from the corresponding role in the world of pen and paper communications, where there have long been women doing the job with the title of ‘postmistress’. ‘Webmaster’ as a name makes sense only in this context (as ‘webmistress’ does equally well), with master/mistress meaning the person responsible rather than denoting expertise. Terms such as ‘guru’ are just laughable. If we are to use such gloating terms for such banal activities as web sites should surgeons not call themselves ‘Heart Gods’ and ‘Brain Meisters’, dentists could be ‘Tooth Gurus’ (and bankers ‘thieving scum’ or ‘worthless c**p on the shoe of those who actually produce stuff’).
In general gender specific names are what we make of them. While some will object to the use of ‘master’ for both genders with the implicit assumption that all are male others are co-opting male words such as ‘actor’ for female usage. (It’s about time young single women reclaimed the word ‘spinster’ and avoided ‘bachelor girl’) Where there are two words historically used, I believe we should stick with them without assuming any ranking between the two genders but where a job title has developed from past practice it doesn’t need to be changed to reflect the gender of the incumbent or to remove the historical implied gender.
Gender aside ‘webmaster’ is a title which has probably outlived its usefulness. It reflects the early days when websites where one man (sorry) operations. As the internet ‘matures’ sites have technical managers, editors, publishers, owners etc. and few of these will be publicly listed. This leaves ‘webmaster’ primarily as a mailbox for correspondence concerning the site rather than business conducted on it – and I’m not sure what gender a box has.

I might be considered a webmistress…since I fell asleep with my laptop as I was working on a perl script one time. Hmmm.

I have been pondering this for a few years now, but think I have finally come up with a totally PC phrase (unlike my handle, which I have used for a very long time). I think Site Manager is the way to go. It says what it is ‘on the tin’. It’s the one I will be using from now on. How about you?

I enjoy the term webmistress, though depending on the situation and context, I will also use web designer. Webmistress was a title bestowed upon me when I stepped up to create and design our website for the ministry I am with. Yes – there is a ministry that refers to their web designer as Webmistress Liz. In fact, my fiancee introduced me that way to someone looking for website help just yesterday.

How about Webslinger?

I see absolutely nothing wrong with it and prefer the gender distinction. I use it all the time. I do not – and never have – felt anything other than in command of what I’m designing. The meaning of ‘Mistress’ goes beyond being a married man’s pet.

I highly recommend that you and your readers opposed to this term look up the definition for mistress.

I like the term, it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek and no-one connected with any of the websites I look after would dare apply the other meaning of the word to me !

How about webmadam? Webmistress sounds too young.

If “Webmistress sounds too young” I’m keeping the title, and gladly! Just don’t call me madam.
For the amount of volunteer hrs I spend on my nonprofit website of a woman’s org, I am surely its mistress and yes, have on more than one occasion slept with (and head upon) my computer while on the job late into the wee hours!
Being very secure in who I am and what I do, this “title” holds no bearing of a derogatory nature in my mind whatsoever–much like schoolmistress. Perhaps that sounds a tad antiquated but not demeaning.
BTW has anyone seen my whip? I seem to have misplaced it for a keyboard!

When I was looking for a job a couple years ago I went to my friend’s lingerie shop and she said she already had a webmisstress. I made the sound of a whip crack, which she thought was funny. I pictured a girl dressed in leather sitting at the computer with her whip on the desk and saying “Bad computer, BAD computer!” haha! I think web misstress is very hot. People need to loosen up a bit.

I’m in a medieval club (yes, “webster” is a female “weaver”; discussion can continue on lingual shift), so “mistress” has no negative connotations; our website managers are often called “web ministers” as we have officers for certain mandatory tasks. I answer to most terms of “web ______”, but often refer to myself as “web messer” because that sometimes happens when I alter the design. (I look forward to the time when female versions of titles are not denigrated…)

If a woman can be a “master of ceremonies” or a “taskmaster” (and I’m pretty sure she can), then she can be a “webmaster.”

But hey, anyone can call herself what she wants, “webmistress” included. But I dare say she’s trying too hard and coming up short.

I used to use this term for myself, and saw others (friends and others) use it back in the 90s. I don’t mind it. I find it a bit silly now, but not demeaning or anything.

I know people who like to tack on -ess to everything, thinking that feminizing something is “taking back the word” that is otherwise presumptively male. But nowadays, so many words/titles are pretty generic, so it’s not as common.

Still, the word “master” to me inherently implies a few things, and in a particular order for me personally:
* Someone who is an expert
* Someone who is in control (of others? of things?)
* Someone who knows a thing or two if you get what I mean *wink wink* (I jest.)

I used the “webmistress” term because it was a way of saying “I’m a female web designer/coder and I’m proud of it!” Nowadays I just tell people I’m a “web and graphic designer” and that’s just as useful without any linguistic problems.

I met a webmistress once, paid $14.95 per minute.

Using the word “mistress” is incorrect, because the word “master” – in this case – has nothing to do with gender. It has to do with one who has mastered (reached a high level of skill) in their craft.

Web Admin or Web Administrator would be a gender-neutral substitute for “Webmistress”

I remember seething at a William Safire column in the NYT Sunday Magazine where he lamented the “good old days” when men were actors and women were actresses, men were waiters and women were waitresses, etc. He said that making these terms gender-neutral deprived people of information. And for some here (i.e., Robin), that may be reason enough.

But I feel strongly that a job title with a masculine and a feminine version is communicating “ladies auxiliary.” What’s an actress? A female actor. A waitress? A female waiter. Not quite the real thing, but pretty close. The masculine, as purists will tell you, is also considered the gender-neutral noun. That’s how we get sentences like “each student put down his pencil.” This construction reinforces the idea that female professionals are one step away from the Real Thing.

You can laugh at this but language does indeed influence how we think.

WOW… Seriously? someone is being so “gender sensitive” it has rendered them totally ignorant…

Kudo’s Jennifer Kyrnin; totally agree

Isn’t a webmaster is someone that has the ability to build and maintain websites? is other words he/she has mastered the web NOT mistressed the web

“Maura: I’m not sure that “master” must indicate male. After all, I can state that I’m a “master of my fate” or a “master musician” and no one would assume that I’m male simply because of those terms. Or does it have to do with the field you’re a master in? Is a master carpenter automatically male?”
Good point.

The first time I heard the word “webmistress”I was repulsed and confused; I personally would not use or appreciate use of the term.

While it is true “mistress” has both a negative and a positive (as in mistress of the house) definition I find it is generally best to stay away from words that can be easily be taken negatively and since the term webmaster is to convey expertise NOT gender the point is mute.

In my opinion, “master” implies gender. “Mistress” implies something altogether different (thigh high boots and a riding crop, perhaps). I prefer “developer.”