One of the questions you get to answer most as a web developer is; “Where is your web site?”

Incredulous as it seems, an astounding number of web developers or people otherwise engaged in web-centric business have either no web site or something that barely resembles a web site.

I had opted for the latter.

Programming

See, when you’re a web developer people expect you dish out a site (expectation #1) that says “wow, look at me dude — I’m happening!” (expectation #2) whereas in reality you’re busy meeting the expectations of your clients.

When you finally get to doing your own site, Friday night at 4:18 AM, writing the words “Hello World” seems like a good enough idea. Somewhere down the line you make some more time (“I won’t be long, honey!”), add a page or two about how good you are — and that’s basically it.

The Truth

As the X-Files put it; it’s out there.

Web designers have portfolio’s with cute little thumbnails. Pure SEO’s have logo’s of clients and their ranking to point to.

But as a web developer you have zills. Nada. Notti. If you’re worth your money your work is invisible. There is nothing to point to.

Take Notepad for example. Everyone running Windows has it on their computer. Virtually everyone has used it at one point or another. It’s extremely simple in what it does, but could you program it? Apart from the general idea, the vision, could you write the actual lines to make your computer perform these tasks?

Given that, did you at any moment in time think “wow, this programmer was really good” or “hmm, dunno what this guy was thinking but…”.

No.

Tired

I hate to present myself as someone I’m not. I’m not a corporate person. Would I handle things “The Right Way” I’m sure I could make a lot more money than I do now.

But I’m a programmer and the only corporate, the only business side in me is my golden rule to underpromise and overdeliver.

As such I spend long hours, I mean long, programming other people’s visions, projects and ideas. By the time I’m done I don’t feel like editing my site and making myself look a little bit more corporate, a little bit more professional, a little bit more desirable.

By that time I just want to tell it like it is.

That’s what a blog should be for, should be about.

This is my site.

Hat tip to Kim whose post about blogging instilled in me the desire to go this route