Webmaster, full-stack developer or internet guide?

August 13, 2026

I often struggle to pin down what I do – exactly. I often toss out the phrase: “I am hired to write code but am kept around because I solve problems”. Let’s tease out how I came to that description.

The first half is fairly cut and dry. I read and write programming languages fluently, but “programmer” is too generous a word. The folks I consider to be “real” programmers would look at my technology stack / workflow combination and, to be frank, laugh a little. I am certainly not a computer scientist. I do not have a degree in computer science. That said, I do run computer-based experiments because I have a very curious mind. I am not really a software engineer – despite many folks wanting to put me in that box.

Most accurately – I grow, evolve, improve, expand, enhance, fix, correct or otherwise advance websites. That process might be turning a design into a functional website. It might be rebuilding an existing website to work better. The main point here – I rarely start from absolutely nothing, but instead take something website related and advance it. This is why, very technically, I choose the phrase website developer. To keep that informal and tightly packaged, you will hear me say things like “I write code”.

Makes sense, right? Great. Let’s move on to that “solve problems” bit.

At a foundational level, I am a first-principles thinker with an exceptionally high need for cognition. I like to take things apart, see how they work, and often – bend the rules to see how I can alter the outcomes. These natural inclinations make me a native problem solver. This inescapable drive to fix what’s broken or improve what is working, is why clients “keep me around”.

Here is a great example. I once received a call from a client. They said there was something wrong with the website because the phone wasn’t ringing. I said, “That’s not good. I’ll be right over.” We sat there, looking at the website, wondering what was wrong. I asked, “This is the business phone number still, correct?” Yes, it was. We sat in silence. I thought, this is weird. The phone rings off the hook every time I am here. The phone isn’t ringing.

I dug my phone out of my pocket and dialed the number. I sat, and waited and waited and waited, until – I was directed to voicemail. The phone was literally not ringing. The client GASPED and dove under their desk. They had cleaned the office that morning and inadvertently unplugged the phone system. Upon reconnecting power, they discovered that had well over 100 voicemails. At this point, I packed up, wished them luck and gracefully made my exit.

I solve problems – regardless of whether they are of my own making and often – regardless of if they are in my domain. I just like to figure things out. So, that second bit is just as critical. I write code and solve problems.

How do I box this idea as a shippable concept? We need to unpack a little history.

A brief history of website creation and maintenance roles

The internet, for businesses, started with webmasters. They handled all your website needs. They managed servers, wrote the code, routed emails, etc. They did the lot. It is right there in the title. Webmaster.

As time went on, the internet became more and more complex. A single person was no longer able to keep up with the growing demands. The tech industry specialized. In fact, we over-specialized – to the point of back-end and front-end developers.

Related aside – if you want to be a good front-end developer, study geometry. If you want to be a good back-end developer, study algebra. The good news? These concepts go hand in glove. You can be excellent at both. High five!

During this period, a “full stack” developer was the golden goose. A mythos many of us called an unreality. We began arguing over semantics, and that brought us neatly to today.

These are not the days of LAMP. Anyone who can tip-to-tail create a website today, is a “full stack developer.” We just need to rethink what a technology stack is. For example, I’ll argue – if someone can create a website using Squarespace, they are a full stack developer – for their given technology stack. Substitute in WebFlow or WordPress with an off the shelf theme, and we can see how “full stack developer” is a useless term to me. In fact, it is much worse. My own definitions place me in a box with the very people I am actively trying to differentiate against.

Inhabiting this position puts me in a theoretical pickle. What to do?

I could go technical and point to strict quality standards. I prefer creative solutions. I’ll propose I can think myself out of the box I put myself in.

I have my tech stack, and I am a master of it. I can help you select hosting and spin it up – in your account. I can add SMTP, so emails from the site (contact form submissions) deliver. I can install and verify the cookie notice/opt-out you will need for the contact form anti-spam. I can fix your DNS records for DMARC/DKIM. I can tell you to not hire that SEO firm that is only going to steal your money. I can help you gain access to your Google business listing. I can show you various strategies for navigating AI optimization – or AI lockout.

In other words – yes, I cut code, but I also cut for digital sign. I am an internet guide. Tell me where you want to go, and I can help you navigate the wilderness that is, the internet. I’ve crossed this digital plane countless times and can tell you where the pitfalls are, and why the safest paths are the ones to select. The key to how I do this is very, very simple. I read the rulebooks and then try to break the rules. This is not a trick I taught myself.

Some of the best advice I ever received came from a quarter mile racing phenom. He said to me, “If you are not breaking the rules, you are not racing. If you get caught breaking the rules, you are bad at racing.” Sometimes people hear this and question my moral compass. Look very closely at the advice. What it actually says is, “Read the rulebook”. The rulebook may include a list of things that are permitted and are not permitted.

Read more closely and you’ll find the rules are specific parameters that you must meet. This mentality works in racing but also works flawlessly in the world of web development. I go find the absolute limit by intentionally exceeding it, which gives me tremendous perspective on where you want to park yourself. I don’t put myself in harm’s way to know the safe path forward. I create safe testing environments and explore changes in variables until I discover how and why everything comes apart. This gives me the ability to keep everything neatly together and running like a well-oiled machine. This pleases me to no end.

You see, my compass points toward pride of place. This means my default position is to engage in behavior that signals this space (physical or digital) is watched, valued, and protected. This idea led me to the position that we need to establish a digital marketing bill of rights. This is a project I am actively working on, with an excellent designer, and my partner-in-crime (https://leafandlinedesign.com/). As things move forward, you will certainly hear more.

In the meantime, I’ll plant a flag and say, I find these truths to be self-evident. Every small business owner has an unshakable right to:

• Absolute Asset Sovereignty: You own your files, your code, and your analytics tokens – the lot – on day one. No vendor locks. No hostage situations.
• Universal Semantic Access: Websites must be fully keyboard-navigable, screen-reader accessible, and high-contrast out of the box.
• Lean Technical Velocity: Websites should respect user time and data caps, loading instantly without needlessly burning through their resources.
• Structural Longevity: Websites should be built with the foundational stability of stone monuments, yet nimble enough to run smoothly for years without forced, expensive agency maintenance retainers.
• Absolute Privacy Defenses: Hardcoded network protections that actively block and/or poison unauthorized users of all kinds – from malefactors and miscreants to AI bots attempting to harvest your intellectual property.

This introductory list is intended as only a beginning and a bare minimum. As I expand this concept, I will be sure to note it here.

“Only you can prevent bad internet.” [- internet bear]