Mistakes can be funny and useful

When you make a mistake in building a Web page or working with a client, it can be easy to dwell on it and even possibly obsess over how it will hurt you. But we all make mistakes, and if you learn from them, they can help you. And when I say, "we all make mistakes," I mean it. I have made some major mistakes.

This month, I didn't receive any new horror stories, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites. Remember, if you have a story, you can submit it anonymously. The following stories I liked either because they were funny or they were a great example of a common mistake most Web designers make.

• Don't All Politicians Like Walruses?
  This one made me laugh out loud. Always double check your work, especially when you're being rushed.
• Christmas in July?
  How many times have I seen copyright dates from 2-3 years ago, but that's not as bad as this story.
• Profanity Can Be Bad
  Don't forget that others might see your testing pages.
• Contracts are Crucial
  One of the most common mistakes a new designer makes is to skip the contract.
• Bad Programming Days
  Even little errors can cause big headaches.
• A typo can take out your Web site
  Computers are powerful, but they are stupid - you have to be smarter than they are.
• How Many Rewrites Will You Do?
  Another common mistake of new freelancers is to take a job but not stipulate any end date, total hours, etc. You can end up working on a site for years.
• Be Sure to Check Other Browsers
  No matter what browser you use, some of the site customers will use a different one.



• Read Other Horror Stories

If you have a story you'd like to share, I'd love to read it.