Dear Jamie,

I've been in IT almost 20 years, mostly as a Project Lead/Business Analyst in mainframe and client server environments. For the last 2, I've worked as a contractor, and now I'm totally burned out on that type of job. I've taken introductory classes in Web Technology, HTML, JavaScript and Perl and find the web stuff really fun, but don't have the experience or in-depth knowledge to get a job, though I'd really like to get into the web world.  How valuable would a CIW certification be for someone like me?  Are there companies that will hire you with the certification but no job experience? Do you think it'd be wise to look for a junior level full-time position, rather than trying to contract?  I'd really appreciate your ideas.

Curious

I was stumped, since I'd never heard of the CIW designation before.  So I did a little research before issuing my alleged words of wisdom. Didn't find much of anything about the CIW, and gave my usual direction -certifications are good, but don't expect them to substitute for hands-on expertise.  I advised that Curious not waste time & money getting this CIW, but rather take her valuable project management experience and apply it to web work.

On balance, I still think I was right, but I decided to investigate the CIW and, for that matter, the profession of Webmaster some more.

What's a Webmaster Anyway?

Good question.  The U.S. Department of Labor doesn't provide a specific occupational description, choosing instead to roll it up into the generic area of support.  The Alberta Learning Information Service (Canada) defined the Webmaster as "managers who are responsible for their organizations' websites" in March, 2000.  The following were cited as duties:

• Ensuring that websites advance their organizations' goals;
• Ensuring optimum site performance on an ongoing basis (often requires balancing graphic appeal against access speed requirements & overseeing technical activities);
• Promoting the website within the organization & educating people about related issues and technology;
• Developing & implementing a budget for website development & maintenance/ coordinating work of contractors (e.g. web developers, graphic artists);
• Selecting server/desktop environments and web development tools:
• Setting standards & procedures regarding design & production of site additions; and using software to generate and track site access statistics."

In the Beginning ...

There was a website running on a web server and the Web Server Administrator looked upon it and it was good.  Whereupon others looked upon it and agreed it was good and desired to add to the website their own Content.  So approachest they the Web Server Administrator and beseeched him for access.  And the Web Server Administrator would look upon this Content and, lo, some of it was good and he would grant access.  But some was bad and the Web Server Administrator would smite these erstwhile authors down and send them crawling back to their cubicles.  And so, he became the Webmaster and ruled supreme over the Web Site.

Well, I think it went something like this.  In any case, I do know there was judgment in there somewhere and whoever had dominion over the web server did get some pretty hefty control.  We can still see the legacy of control in the ubiquitous instruction to send email to Webmaster@anysite.com. (Not a real link, so far as I know.  To be safe, don't click here.)

In the early days of web page construction, where sites were static with relatively little change/update, the idea of vesting one person with control - the Webmaster - was conceivable. And it was necessary, since the Webmaster was generally the only person who knew HTML.  Now that simple tools exist to empower content creators to easily morph their material into HTML, the Webmaster's role is evolving.

And Now ...

These days, websites can easily consist of thousands of pages, or more.  For example, IBM's Intranet has in excess of 200,000 pages.  To maintain a site of this size, the idea of even a single team is outlandish.  Plus, the bar has been raised for website functionality and content freshness.  Sites are evaluated on their interactivity levels as well as the how regularly content is updated or replaced.  The expectation is that commercial sites get a major design overhaul at least annually. Kind of puts a lot of pressure on that one-person Webmaster department.

There are probably four roles or functional areas that can conceivably fall under the heading of Webmaster - Systems administration, content management, publishing and email response.  Evolved companies are separating these responsibilities and coordinating output through a web team or eBusiness team.  (This raises issues of governance, policy and procedure development - but that's another column.) Given the exponential growth of website complexity and pure information, the notion of the Webmaster as the single point of control will probably lead to a single point of failure.

Part of the problem is that the term "Webmaster" is still used to refer to any or all of these roles.  And that's why I questioned the value of the CIW.

CIW? CWP? What's in a Name?

As usual, the answer is: "It depends."  Both of these designations have been developed and are being marketed by organizations trying to be certification market-makers.  The Certified Webmaster Professional (CWP) is the product of something called Webmaster Certification Online, a site that bills itself as "a subsidiary of WebYoda, Inc." whatever that is.  Looks like an attempt at profitability to me.