What to call myself?

[Sergio]

People always ask me if I have a job (they get suspicious of my money and the fact that I don't have a "job").

Sometimes I say, "I work online", but they're dumb and ask, "Oh, so you looked for a job online, but where do you work?". Or sometimes I say "Webmaster" or "online marketing", but that's too general. I always end up answering a million questions, and end up saying, "No, I will not make you a website, Google it."

So, what do you do to shorter this interrogation process? I'm sure many are asked questions everyday, and it's just too hard to explain since they don't understand our jargon.

[NaSh123]

Just simply say I run a few websites. When they ask you to expand give pretty short and stupid answers. They will get the point and stop asking questions :)

[Sergio]

Yeah, sometimes I say, "You know those sites that have pop ups and freeze your browser? That's me".

Although I actually don't have any sites with pop ups.

[fryman]

Everytime I tell someone I have some website, they always ask "porn ones?"

Jeez, I feel like telling them "you know there is more on the net than porn, right?"

[grace]

I was wondering the same thing. What to call myself haha. Because If I say I'm a web designer, which I guess I am because I have 2 websites, but I don't want people asking me to make them a website or anything.

I have gotten to the point where if people ask "How do you make all this money?" I would say "I make stuff for people."

Even shorter, say I'm in a bad mood I say:
Talent and patience

:P

[Des]

I usually say I am a web developer, but that normally leads into them asking me to make a web page for them, or asking silly questions that don't have any relevance to what I do. Then it is usually followed up with a "why did you move to the states if you work from home?"

I think Im just going to start lying about what I do.

"Ya I've given up on the intarweb, now I'm a used car sales man".

[LazyAK]

I just tell them I am an Internet Entrepreneur.

[Connections]

I am getting sick of these questions lol, I all-ways get asked where do you get all this money you never work, how can you afford these 2 cars you have?? I all-ways tell people I do work online but people think im selling drugs or something dodgey well people I dont know or cousins and auntys and uncles I dont see in ages, my friends and sister kinda understand it but they still all think im wasitng my time.

My parents all ways tell me to get a "real job" becuase they dont understand this stuff at all. I told them I wanted to start up a online business and they said no way hehehehe, Ive been doign this whole online thing for ages now but lately ive been getting bored of it as im a full time student and need some experience in real life, I might actually get a real job =| but still do the online thing on the side...

But Its good how all-most no one around my area knows about adsense and making money off sites, but if google brings the adsense accounts into youtube accounts then every one will know about them and everybody will start making dodgey sites :@ :@ :@

[Kasami2k4]

I would tell them I am a human trafficker

And try to look as serious as I can.

[NaSh123]

Here's a good one for you guys. You tell people what you do then they say ohhh can you make me a site like that too?

[WhosThatGirl]

Here's a good one for you guys. You tell people what you do then they say ohhh can you make me a site like that too?

LOL You dont know how many of my friends have done that. Its amazing once you get money how many people are there with their hands out, or wanting you to make it happen for them.

[not2late]

Since day 0 I've always disliked dealing with the "what do you do" question and all the follow up questions. Everyone always asks if I can give them one of my smaller sites and help them run it or hire them. :/

I had been developing sites for a few years as a hobby before they became profitable and when they did I started rewarding myself with a nice car and a lot of tech related material so I could work more efficient. My friends would ask me where I was coming up with the money since I had quit my fast food jobs and none really would believe anything I said about making money online.

One of my friends has only recently come around to accepting that people make money on the internet. He was convinced I was a college dropout bum making a few hundred bucks a month living in my moms (newly bought) house. I have a bad habit of using coupons, scrounging, saving, and never abusing money so I give off a dead broke vibe I guess to people less financially savvy. I remember the day one of my friends found out I payed cash for my car (simple luxury used 2 door) and he apparently got pissed off at me. He was listing off all of the trivial over priced stuff he would have bought if he had that amount of money all at once and I was like geez... no wonder you are in debt.

I lost a few friends over the years because of my working online. People who I thought were great friends but seemed to get bitter and angry at me. They took advantage of my generosity and borrowed money and I ended up having to let them know if our friendship was worth blah amount of cash they could just not worry about paying me back but they better forget about our friendship. If anyone is in a hole or something Im glad to help them out, but dont constantly lie about not being able to pay someone back and then go out and buy tons of useless expensive crap while asking me for rides to do it.:no:


I think I rambled on for a little too long.

"Anyone can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend's success."

Just tell them you found the money in a cab.:death:

[jeremy860]

I always just say I am a "Web Developer", since that is what I do, I "develop" websites. :)

[money_train]

web developer is the easiest. anything else like oline marketer or SEO or webmaster gets eyes raised and questions started.

[alexisthemovie]

i say web developer as well... if they ask any more questions then i can usually bore them out of ever asking me any ever again.

but yeah, people do wonder when when i buy new clothes, or tons of new parts for my car.

oh yeah, and if people ask if i have a job, i say no. this isn't really a job... its just work.

[grace]

Here's a good one for you guys. You tell people what you do then they say ohhh can you make me a site like that too?

Exactly. I showed a couple offline friends my website and they were like. "Cool site! Can you make me one now?"

I try and tell them its not that simple. haha.

[Rob]

Jeez, I feel like telling them "you know there is more on the net than porn, right?"

Where where? :innocent:

When they ask me what I do I just say "what do you think?I'm a dog.I sniff other dogs butts and bark at the postman"

They have usually gone by the time I finish the sentence.

*MK goes off to take his meds.

[misterproline]

oh my gosh - I got that one 3 weeks ago hhhaah - i love this thread!


Here's a good one for you guys. You tell people what you do then they say ohhh can you make me a site like that too?

[Sergio]

i say web developer as well... if they ask any more questions then i can usually bore them out of ever asking me any ever again.

but yeah, people do wonder when when i buy new clothes, or tons of new parts for my car.

oh yeah, and if people ask if i have a job, i say no. this isn't really a job... its just work.
But 'business' sounds so much better!:yes:

And that sucks for you not2late, my mom always told me that real friends are hard to find. That after high school very few, if none at all will stick by you. :[

By the way, job = just over broke. Jobs suck. ;)

[Mixi]

I just say webdesigner & that I do print photography work on the side. When I finally told a few friends some of the other stuff I do as far as making money off MSRS they are like so you get free money with adsense. If they only knew how many months and hours of work it takes to make a site successful.

[Kyle]

Im glad you asked this question, it troubled me for a while. My advice: Say you are a boss, and you run your own internet company/business. You do consulting and advertising for a large network of companies.

Boom.

[YabbaDoo]

I say I'm a student, just dropped outta college and looking for work currently.
I would never tell anyone my websites at the hairdressers or something.
I would say I'm a webmaster, but last time I did that, I ended up in a 45 minute convo with a hairdresser about how that works, I just say "ADS!" :)

[NYCBORN]

Tell them non of your business :) :death:

[YabbaDoo]

next time someone asks, I'm going to say
"ADULT WEBMASTER!"
That'll shut em up.
Or will it????? ;)

[Kyle]

If you wanna joke just say you are a calvin klein underwear model or a bic lighter repairman. Say it with a straight face and study thier reaction :)

[minnseoelite]

I think I get asked that question at least 2 or 3 times a week and I just tell them I am "self employed" then if they feel like being nosey I usually try to be as complicated as possible and say "I am the CEO of my own SEO Consulting, Marketing, and Web Development Company".........this usually flies right over their head and they look at me like OK and walk off.....

[shimmeringgraphix]

I hate explaining where I get all my money. I tell them i get it from Google and they are like"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!?". Then of course I have to explain all the aspects of my website and what kinda of site it is, blah, blah, blah. Then of course the classic question that comes from many of my classmates "Can you make me a site? I really need the money". I hate getting asked that.

[Greg-J]

My response is always "Software Developer".

However if I was in the same boat as most people here I would probably respond with something like "I build the Internet".

[shimmeringgraphix]

However if I was in the same boat as most people here I would probably respond with something like "I build the Internet".


Hah i like that one. I think i might use that one...

[Breanna]

Use big website words, or initials.. then they will feel stupid and not ask you anything else.

[NYCBORN]

I hope I get to the point where I can call this my full time job. Haven't got there yet so I am going to study all the responses in the post for when I do.