What are your responsibilities as a web developer?

What are the key responsibilities a web developer should have?

• Answer:

  There are a few different popular definitions of "web developer" floating around. The responsibilities included in the broadest definition are very similar to the now archaic "webmaster": writing HTML markup and CSS, configuring web servers, programming and maintaining the back end. This definition is probably most appropriate for developers of smaller or simpler sites. They might be paired with a designer on a very small team, possibly only two people. Most popular today—and the most specialized definition—is probably the front end developer. They translate design documents and specifications to markup and CSS, and sometimes develop the website's UI using tools like JavaScript. The specialization of this kind of developer lends itself to larger websites and larger teams. Back end developers are probably more appropriately called programmers, engineers, or system administrators; but the "developer" label has been carried over from desktop software development. These people might write the back end code in a language like Python or PHP, and on smaller teams they likely have something to do with the configuration and maintenance of the servers. Some might use the term "developer" to refer to a position that combines programming, engineering, and administration. This kind of developer could be on either a small or large team. On smaller teams, a designer might take over the responsibilities usually given to a front end developer. The actual responsibilities of a web developer in your company will depend on the number of employees and the nature of the product. I think a lot of us understand that variability and will take it into account when looking for a job.