Webmaster Overdose (8/16/1998)
People mail me all the time with questions about web-type-stuff. They either want to know how to get a domain name, how to do frames, how to make a Java applet, how to write a CGI script, whatever. That by itself isn't so bad and I can generally help them out.

The sad part is that these people usually sign their mail with the title, "Webmaster". I think it's kinda of funny how many people think they're webmasters because they can use the Personal Publisher on AOL or design a website in FrontPage. To be a bona fide "Webmaster" I think you should have at least a general understanding of how a good chunk of the ugly details behind the web work.... HTML, few scripting languages, servers & databases, etc.

However, this isn't to say that there's anything wrong with these people. Content on websites is great too, which is usually what these people are good at. My point is probably just that these people would be more accurate in calling themselves "Publishers", not "Webmasters".

Update: As I reread this, I think I was being rather harsh. A bunch of people were bugging me at the time and I had to vent. However, a recent ComputerWorld article agrees with a little of what I was saying.