What is a Webmaster 4

"the person with overall responsibility for the entire web site" - Peter

"Someone who creates a web site and maintains it" - Bill

"Because the word "master" is attached, it seems appropriate to expect a webmaster to oversee all aspects of the 'web.' This would include web site design/deveopment, and everything connected to publish and maintain a site on the web, which means web servers also. I agree that the term has undergone a shift in duties over the last few years. Companies are trying to economize, so they want IT people who are cross-trained in web programming and repair/maintenance. I don't know if this will involve" - Maura

"In my case the webmaster is the one who built it, meta tagged it, submitted it over and over, sweated through the learning curve of being old and new fangled gadgets like FrontPage and Dreamweaver and to this day finds it necessary to constantly fiddle with it whether it needs it or not. Oh and by the way the one that does all the serverside maintenance. php mail this and mail that, domain renwal etc etc etc." - Todd

"A webmaster should not only be a first rate web designer, but he should also be able to look at code written by others and understand it so that he can be responsible for maintaining a web site. Above all he should be comfortable with hand coding. Any one can "design" a web page with a template. Leonardo DaVinci didn't paint the Mona Lisa with a paint by number canvas and neither should the webmaster." - Richard

"My first position in this industry was that of "Web Producer", which I felt was just a vague as "Webmaster". At the time, I knew HTML, I was very experienced in using Photoshop and its related programs, and I had created a few websites on my own, but I wasn't quite a developer nor was I a web designer (mostly in the eyes of those that had gone to school for those titles, while I was self-taught). Today I am experienced in CSS and interested in learning DHTML and AJAX." - Thomas

"The webmaster does it all." - Bob

"A Webmaster is one who builds and maintains the website, and for me includes design and coding." - Ken

"I believe that a webmaster is someone who maintains the site, fixes any problems that may arise on the server and can answer most if not all questions regarding website problems, server problems, etc.... In my eyes a web designer is someone who solely creates and maintains a website." - John

"How to reduce this to its simplest terms? I know "comparative value" webmaster is to template user as program language creator is to a code monkey (aka programmer). Anyone can be taught to type in code but not many create code itself. or webmaster is to white hat ~hAxOr~ what a template user is to a kiddie scripter (also a template user) or stolen/ copied codes as it were, just a simple button pusher, one can train hamster to do that.." - Randy

"A Webmaster is the person responsible for the development and maintenance of a website. I would say he/she is more like the project manager. Pulling all the pieces together. Takes care of all the details that are needed developing, hosting and maintaining/updating a site. Site development could include a graphic designer, programmer, etc. The Webmaster would be the person responsible to make sure the project is completed in a timely manner with all of the content that the client has..." - Jim

"I think of 'Webmaster' as a catch-all title, one that means different things depending upon the organization using it ... ranging from designing the site to simply maintaining it." - c

"The Administrator of a website. The webmaster is in charge of the functioning of a website, whether they know all the ins or outs is irrelevant, as long as the site functions within the desired expectation. They could know everything, or know where to hire the experts that do. As long as the product functions as the customer desires. The executive manager of a website." - Gary

"I agree with James. I also think the job depends on who you are working for. My title is web goddess, and I am in full charge of a website for a famous musician. I do it all from design to execution. I also make images when necessary, make mp3 soundclips for his new recordings, and run his online store. It's the best job I've ever had and I'm very much appreciated, which is a BIG plus :)" - Carole

"Where I work we don't actually use the term webmaster. We've a group of 4 highly trained employees that make up the Web Communications group and are called Webmeisters. Each group or department within our 45,000+ employee company has a Web Admin who is responsible for that group's/department's web presence. It's grown more organized recently as we've migrated to Interwoven's Content Management System but the overall day-to-day management of content is still left up to the Web Admins." - Craig

"I think a webmaster is exactly that -- a web MASTER. Web Designers design (graphics, layout), Web Developers develop (hosting), Web Programmers program (C++, Javascript), and SEOs optimize (keywords, reciprocal links). But a web MASTER needs to be able to do it all . . . to be the MASTER of the site." - Cheryl

"Webmaster" is an outdated term that originated back in the day when only one person could install server software, network a computer to the WWW, and build a website that could be accessed publicly. Today these tasks are more complex, requiring specialized skills, and are divided among Sysadmin, Web Developer, Web Designer, and Content Editor. Some people have skills that overlap these specialties, but no one is a "master" in all of them." - Cynth

"Very interesting observations. I never analyzed what exactly a webmaster is or the definition; it was something that just struck me as someone that oversees all facets of a website. And that still works for me. I've designed and maintained my own site (still do), worked as a web editor, taken courses in design geared for "webmaster certification," and so on. But a webmaster to me is the individual that creates and maintains the website and keeps it functioning. They are the ones responsible." - Vinnie

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