I Am A Ninja?

My career as a freelance webmaster now has a foundation. I've been working for the past few weeks as a part-time HTML E-mail Designer/Coder for American Optometric Association. I'm helping them with their email newsletters. In summary, I take document files that are sent to me and an existing HTML template that was used for the previous month's newsletter and I integrate the new articles into the newsletter for the current month. The result looks something like this example. This is a great opportunity for me and all I need now is to get a few more jobs just like it. Eventually, I'll have a rotating list of jobs and projects that will help me develop my skills and interests. That's the dream anyway.

Before I continue typing about this, let me take a moment to state emphatically that I don't like the term "webmaster" for the purpose of describing what I want to do. I don't want anyone to use the word in this industry any more. It's klunky. It can variably cover any and all of the following roles -

• Web designer: CSS, graphics, logos
• Web developer: PHP, ASP, SQL, databases
• Web administrator: Server administration, Linux, IIS
• Web marketing: SEO, PPC, SEM, Social Media, Email

But when someone says "webmaster" this sounds too much like "dungeon master" and I picture the dice rolling and a purple robe with stars embroidered on it. We need a new encompassing title for what we do when what we do is some combination of the above.

It's a little bit funny that there are no real standard conventions for these roles or a way for people outside the industry to have a decent frame of reference. From outside, it can seem like magic. From inside, it can too often seem like technical support.

DO NOT WANT!!

My fellow web-workers, I sometimes think we need a new job title. But I get the feeling that the connection with our nerd heritage means that this -master thing is going to stick around.

Wouldn't Webninja be more appropriate?

See this Video at WSJ.com.

I guess we could all be Ninjas. There's even a theme song for this.

Well, I. M. Ninja!
He is Ninja!
She is Ninja, too!
I. M. Ninja!
We are Ninja!
And I believe that you are Ninja, too!

I'm good with that. Just call me Webninja!

Update: Thanks for reading! Tune in next week when I reconsider this "ninja" business and instead go for WebJedi!