First, I loved the article and the show as well. Second, the web industry may not be as fast paced as it once was but I believe it is making a rebound (I chant that to myself as I try and sleep at night). I think that a real push of creativity and usability in design will get us all the raises we deserve.
I’m new to owning my own web design business and this article was very helpful, especially the part about playing your strenths. Know that you may note be the absolute best but you do have something special. Very inspirational in a weird OZ kind of way. Thanks Brian.
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Marc
Wizard of Oz – the Technicolor Horse keeps changing colors, the “Bosses” are evil (but unfortunately DON’T melt w/ a suitable application of hydrogen-hydroxide), the manager hides behind a curtain, depends upon incomprehensible technology to provide him w/ powers he DOESN’T really have, and can’t really help us (it’s all really inside us).
The Exorcist – er, WE seem to be the priest in this one, and the customer has his/her head spinning ‘round, spitting out pea soup. We deal with an age-old evil, and we’re never really quite sure if we’re going to triumph before the end of the movie. Unfortunately, we DON’T have a killer soundtrack.
Cool World/ Who Framed Roger Rabbit – we have a hard time w/ members slipping into a strangely drawn dark fantasy world, where the bad guys are amazingly elastic and never quite stay… “dead”. Most folks who would BE in a possition to help are ridiculously silly, or reduced to cartoonish Sysiphusian tasks, oblivious to the “real” world around them/us.
Whew. Now I need coffee.
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Rich
My web career is like that show because when I first started I was excited and bright eyed and thought I would learn a lot. Reality is I, like Al Bundy, am in a dead end job with no support to learn the new cool things, or get promoted. When I try more advanced designs, they get shot down. Heaven forbid I use Flash. My only option is get out of web design.
A lot of very weird people and just as many weird things happening…but a great show at the same time! The town is in slow motion..just like my company. Also, Joel is stuck in a place where he doesn’t want to be…but just seems to stay there anyways..hmmm…very similar to my career the more I think about it.
I like the comment by na about X-Files. That’s what I think too.
Regarding Oz, I can only say I like your sense of humour. As it’s mostly humour, isn’t it? Though we all know that there’s no smoke without fire :))
Hi everyone…
I think web design reminds me of the movie 28 days later, because in that movie a small team is struggling to survive in a world taken over by a malicious virus. This virus turns humans into walking dead – kinda like Resident Evil…
The paralells are the struggling – the competition for web designers is so hard (the other web designers are the undead guys =)) so you have to put up a really good fight and results in order to survive.
It’s going ok for me here in Sweden, Malmö right now… Gonna design the whole school’s web site (1300 students =)) hehe… Not too bad! It’ll include server-scripting, design and management. I also teach a small web design group at the school. Have a look at the site, which desperately is in need of server-scripts to include the old-fashioned table layout to every page… (actually I’ve updated it to CSS2 now, but it takes too long to start the FTP client =)) – www.henrik-f.tk
Feel free to send me an email, and hope ya all survive out there…
I guess the video channel. ( The blank blue or black screen also known as AUX or Input ) I tend to blankly sare at things like that letting my wander and find things. Every once in a while the screen will flicker or maybe have some snow and that will spur a new creative hook in my mind.
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Maxxine Vaxa
Let’s see, I started out waxing clipart for camera shoots in a local newspaper and somehow I wound up making clipart for e-zines.
I rode the wave from 1993 until now. The best description for the e-world… “By the time you take the time to describe what it can do, it’s defunct.”
I can NEVER learn everything about it. That’s why both love it and hate it. So the show best like it? The Office (Britcom), you hate it but you can’t stop torturing yourself and watch it every weekend. Like a sliver you keep tweaking….
I have white hair now, but it was red when I started and I’m NOT past 40 yet!! WebDev can be detrimental to your hair!
83 Reader Comments
Back to the ArticlePaul
First, I loved the article and the show as well. Second, the web industry may not be as fast paced as it once was but I believe it is making a rebound (I chant that to myself as I try and sleep at night). I think that a real push of creativity and usability in design will get us all the raises we deserve.
Michelle
I’m new to owning my own web design business and this article was very helpful, especially the part about playing your strenths. Know that you may note be the absolute best but you do have something special. Very inspirational in a weird OZ kind of way. Thanks Brian.
Roy
Mine is Seinfeld, cuz my web career is nothing.
Ted Cahill
OZ – such a great show and a fine analogy
I am tempted to list “The Pretender” for various reasons appropos.
I will instead remain HBO-centric and offer “Deadwood” as befitting annotation of any alleged association entangling myself and development of the web
Christian
I’m stuck. And I can’t seem to get out of this rot. Web business is killingly slow right now.
Marc
Wizard of Oz – the Technicolor Horse keeps changing colors, the “Bosses” are evil (but unfortunately DON’T melt w/ a suitable application of hydrogen-hydroxide), the manager hides behind a curtain, depends upon incomprehensible technology to provide him w/ powers he DOESN’T really have, and can’t really help us (it’s all really inside us).
The Exorcist – er, WE seem to be the priest in this one, and the customer has his/her head spinning ‘round, spitting out pea soup. We deal with an age-old evil, and we’re never really quite sure if we’re going to triumph before the end of the movie. Unfortunately, we DON’T have a killer soundtrack.
Cool World/ Who Framed Roger Rabbit – we have a hard time w/ members slipping into a strangely drawn dark fantasy world, where the bad guys are amazingly elastic and never quite stay… “dead”. Most folks who would BE in a possition to help are ridiculously silly, or reduced to cartoonish Sysiphusian tasks, oblivious to the “real” world around them/us.
Whew. Now I need coffee.
Rich
My web career is like that show because when I first started I was excited and bright eyed and thought I would learn a lot. Reality is I, like Al Bundy, am in a dead end job with no support to learn the new cool things, or get promoted. When I try more advanced designs, they get shot down. Heaven forbid I use Flash. My only option is get out of web design.
Amanda
A lot of very weird people and just as many weird things happening…but a great show at the same time! The town is in slow motion..just like my company. Also, Joel is stuck in a place where he doesn’t want to be…but just seems to stay there anyways..hmmm…very similar to my career the more I think about it.
Web Designer
I like the comment by na about X-Files. That’s what I think too.
Regarding Oz, I can only say I like your sense of humour. As it’s mostly humour, isn’t it? Though we all know that there’s no smoke without fire :))
Jeff
Learning through experience. Sometimes tough, sometimes funny…
Henrik Feldt
Hi everyone…
I think web design reminds me of the movie 28 days later, because in that movie a small team is struggling to survive in a world taken over by a malicious virus. This virus turns humans into walking dead – kinda like Resident Evil…
The paralells are the struggling – the competition for web designers is so hard (the other web designers are the undead guys =)) so you have to put up a really good fight and results in order to survive.
It’s going ok for me here in Sweden, Malmö right now… Gonna design the whole school’s web site (1300 students =)) hehe… Not too bad! It’ll include server-scripting, design and management. I also teach a small web design group at the school. Have a look at the site, which desperately is in need of server-scripts to include the old-fashioned table layout to every page… (actually I’ve updated it to CSS2 now, but it takes too long to start the FTP client =)) – www.henrik-f.tk
Feel free to send me an email, and hope ya all survive out there…
/Henke
Jerry Farnsworth
I guess the video channel. ( The blank blue or black screen also known as AUX or Input ) I tend to blankly sare at things like that letting my wander and find things. Every once in a while the screen will flicker or maybe have some snow and that will spur a new creative hook in my mind.
Maxxine Vaxa
Let’s see, I started out waxing clipart for camera shoots in a local newspaper and somehow I wound up making clipart for e-zines.
I rode the wave from 1993 until now. The best description for the e-world… “By the time you take the time to describe what it can do, it’s defunct.”
I can NEVER learn everything about it. That’s why both love it and hate it. So the show best like it? The Office (Britcom), you hate it but you can’t stop torturing yourself and watch it every weekend. Like a sliver you keep tweaking….
I have white hair now, but it was red when I started and I’m NOT past 40 yet!! WebDev can be detrimental to your hair!
LOL
Great Article!
MV