In the about section of this site I say:
“I am a web designer by trade and self confessed geek by personality. I spend most of my waking hours in front of a computer, whether it is my mac at work or my mac at home. I like coding and designing and trying to organise the display of information, not only in a way that looks good, but in a way it makes sense. This might be a side effect of the “information engineering” part of my university course back when I was young and impressionable.
I really enjoy taking a site map and a photoshop visual and breathing life into it. I love the challenges and overcoming obstacles, to reach the end of the line to a finished website or application that “works!” Thus quite often I can be seen at work doing my little victory dance in my chair, when a little bit of code is working like expected, swearing if something isn’t, or lovingly stroking my monitor cooing “my baby” at a finished project. [Thank god I work with fellow understanding geeks and they haven’t committed me yet, although they all consider me crazy]”
Whenever I read this, I feel it’s not really accurate. It does not really convey how much I do actually love my job. I often ask myself why I do love it, especially after difficult days or at the end of tough weeks like this one. Why, while I’m not one for small talk, when conversation turns to work I get animated and can’t stop talking about it.
I don’t save people like doctors do, I don’t help people like social workers. Why does designing a site or developing it makes me feel so excited and animated? Definitely not the big bucks nor because I’ll ever be famous on t’internets.
Reading the little snippet on the about section yesterday I actually saw the reasons staring at me in the face. First I’m lucky enough to have made my hobby my job. Secondly I am lucky enough to work with a group of people I like, in a great environment.
It’s a great feeling waking up in the morning and not going to work because of the money you have to earn to survive but because you know that although staying under your quilt would be nice, going to work will be much more fun!
I love the challenges. I love the process. I love creating a solution to a problem the client didn’t even know they had. I even enjoy fighting my corner with a client who sends me a visual in excel or powerpoint or who wants an iframe! Sometimes I even secretly enjoy battling IE6 but this should also be tagged as #outofyourculticloset.
I love the ever changing scene of my job. Learning new things. I enjoy the fact that things are always moving onwards with technologies advancing constantly. Stretching my skills to the max. Making the most of a non-existent budget. Scratching an itch.
I might not be an amazing programmer, I know I don’t create the most stunning visuals. I enjoy the process of trying my best in order to get the best results I can within the given timescales, budgets and technical constraints.
In short, that’s why I <3 my job
twitter is having some oauth changes, twits will appear again here shortly
Follow me on twitterI have a dream that all my websites will one day exist in a Web where they will not be judged by how they look and behave in each browser, because all browsers will follow the same standards and display them the same.
This is my hope. With this faith in Web Standards and Accessibility for all people and devices we will be able to make a better Web. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of the browsers to a beautiful symphony of design, functionality and content. With this faith we will be able to work better, to play better, to struggle less, knowing that all devices will treat our work equally & with respect.
©acidsmile (unless otherwise stated)
the views expressed throughout this site are my own
and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer