[thelist] web designers unique? (was: Filling up timesheets - good or bad?)

[aardvark]

> From: Erika Meyer <meyer at up.edu>
> 
> Also, trying to fit people (like webdesigners, who have to do so many 
> different kinds of work) into rigid charts, molds, trying to make them work 
[...]

ok, after years of seeing this stuff said over and over, i've gotta ask 
why people believe it...

i've seen people write about how web developers are ninjas, or 
expected to master more than anyone else, or have to merge all 
sorts of disparate skills into one whole... mostly it's self-important 
web-hack article-writers who make these claims... but more and 
more the people doing the work truly believe it... hell, the title 
'webmaster' is a perfect example...

what about our work is so unique?

i did concert promotions for five years... i acted as a publicist, as a 
designer, as a poster hanger, as a booking agent, as a hospitality 
coordinator, as a sound tech, as a lighting tech, as security, as 
logisitics man, as the guy with the check, as negotiator, as 
contract writer, as rigger, as pseudo-lawyer, as secretary, as 
human resources, etc...

working in an ad agency is similar... photos, typography, printing, 
design, clients, staff, different technology, vendor relations, etc...

i've done film, too... lighting, scene building, camera man, foley 
artist, dolley operator, grip, director, costume, etc., etc., etc.... and 
in many cases, i did them all at once, on what should have been 
bigger budget projects...

while i can only give examples in the creative world, and while i 
wouldn't suggest accountants have the same skill diversity, don't 
y'all think that this whole idea of web developers as people who 
uniquely blend disparate talents unlike anyone else is a bit far-
fetched?

has anyone else seen these quotes?  like the ninja one?  i used to 
collect 'em, but that was two machine rebuilds (4.5 years) ago...