You know, I’ve been thinking about this lately, but more so after a conversation with a repair man who came to my home the other day. That was a disturbing encounter in itself which involved the following exchange:

Repairman: You can climb up there and fix it on one condition…
Me: Yea, what’s that?
Repairman: You have to wear a dress so I have something pretty look at from down here.
Me: <confuzzled and dumbfounded look>

(you really don’t want to know what I was thinking - or plotting)

Anyhoo, moving along - he asked what I did and I explained that I was a web designer and he then proceeded to tell me that the other day his computer started making a clicking sound and asked what he could do to fix it.

Uh hum…when did a web designer equate to computer repair technician type person? But it’s not just him, I have quite a few people (strangers mostly) who assume that because I use a computer for work I must know all there is to know about computers to include hardware and software.

And if someone’s computer on the other side of the world should blow up and catch fire, it sure enough is the web designer’s fault, or if their internet service provider is causing them problems and their email isn’t working (which has absolutely nothing to do with the site being developed for them) — it’s the web designer’s fault…sometimes people are funny.

So, for anyone who has ever been confused by the term “web designer” - it does not mean they are a computer tech, it does not mean they are the cause of all computer related problems, and it does not mean they broke your internet. It means they simply create pretty looking web pages.