WEB PAGE DESIGNERS
Create web pages that contain information in the form of text and graphics. Web pages can serve any communicative purpose, and the information contained in them can be of any imaginable sort and may contain "links", special hypertext or icons that, when clicked on with a computer's mouse, transport the reader to a related page or a different web site altogether. Web Page Designers start with information or data to be published on the WWW. They need to know how to create and edit hypertext, and they need to know conventions and etiquette of the Web. Web Page Designers must be proficient in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), the language currently used to create web pages (though it must be understood that new programming languages will be and probably are being developed) and which enables WWW browsers such as NetScape and Mosaic to read and interact with the text of the page.

Web Page Designers must have competence in and understanding of HTML and other extensions, e.g., tables, frames, server-push/client-pull, server side includes, etc., as well as an appreciation for browser compatibility issues. They must have knowledge of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripting typically including (but not necessarily limited to) Java Script, Perl, C, and UNIX shell scripts. They must have basic graphic design capability, with the ability to produce attractive Web pages that are effective within the limitations of the delivery medium, and have a knowledge of graphics applications and techniques (e.g. Photoshop, Fractal Painter, and 3D modeling). They must have a general awareness of and appreciation for the issues concerning the Internet and the World Wide Web, such as download time/bandwidth, content driven pages, and graphics versus text.

Web Page Designers need general UNIX and Personal Computer (Microsoft Windows) awareness. They must have basic skills and knowledge of TCP/IP and Networking (e.g., service ports, name servers, e-mail, USENET, HTTP, FTP, etc.). They must have the ability to work well with customers and deliver a satisfactory customized product within the specified timelines.

WEB MASTERS/MISTRESSES, like Web Page Designers, may be the authors of web pages and should have the same basic skills and knowledge, but the emphasis of their duties tends toward the maintenance, augmentation, and improvement of existing pages. They are often the mediators between Web Page Designers and the system administrator, ensuring that applicable standards such as HTML validity and link liveliness are met. They optimize the web architecture for navigability by web browsers. They take editorial responsibility for the content, quality, and style of the site. They find, create, and install tools to create web content and check for consistency. They develop and enforce the house style, establish liaisons with graphic artists, and provide first level user support.

The duties of Web Masters/Mistresses can be divided into those involving quality assurance and user support.

Quality assurance consists of the maintenance of the home page and the hypertext files contained therein. Web Masters/Mistresses assure quality by promoting the proper use of HTML and by staying abreast of developing HTML standards, so that hypertext served from the web site will look good on most browsers. Web Masters/Mistresses promote proper use of weekly qualified relative Uniform Resource Locators (URLs--Internet addresses), so that published files can be ported to various platforms and directory trees with optimum ease. They present a consistent visual image on the web by promoting uniform fonts, formatting, icons, image, layout techniques, and modularization, including maintenance of HTML template and image archives.

Web Masters/Mistresses provide the first level of user support by compiling and maintaining a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page with answers and references to further information. They assist users who are creating HTML fill-out forms by processing responses into HTML output and by managing the side effects of such processing. (The Web Master is usually not responsible for creating programs which process forms responses.) Web Masters/ Mistresses also provide user support by creating searchable indices.

*As defined by The United States Department of Labor Statistics*