Have you ever listened to a teenager bitch about adult responsibilities?
"Cops suck! They're always pulling me over and giving me tickets because I look young!" "My boss sucks! He's always ordering me around!" "My parents suck! They took away my cellphone just because I went over my minutes!" "When I get older, nobody will ever hassle me again!"
This, my fellow webmasters, is what separates the adults from the children.
The teen believes that somehow, no matter how much they screw up, they will be forgiven and their blunder will be forgotten. They seem to think that their irresponsible choices should be treated as naive mistakes and that the world is full of second chances. When it comes to things like reputation and character, their only references are the social hierarchies of high school. To a teen, adulthood is some sort of magic power that will free them from everything that gets in their way.
|
"If just one vendor or site designer decides to take your non-payment public, your professional, adult reputation is ruined, possibly forever." |
Mind you, I've got nothing against the young ones. Their enthusiasm and passion to experience life always refresh me. Their anger at perceived injustices, like traffic laws and night managers, is charming in a nostalgic way. They remind me that I too, was once that young and that blind. When I listen to a teenager bitch about adult responsibilities, I giggle inside because I know something they don't know.
I know that in a few years, their teenaged hell will look like a vacation in heaven compared to adulthood.
The reason I bring up teenagers is to illustrate a point: If you want to be an adult webmaster, not only should you be an adult, you should act like an adult. This business is like any other business. Your peers, your vendors and everyone you deal with, expect you to behave responsibly. No second chances. No do-overs. No waiting for you to learn your lesson. If you can't fulfill your obligations, then there are a hundred other webmasters that can.
Naturally, you're aware of the qualities needed to succeed in this business.
Untitled Page
An adult webmaster must be diligent and hard working. An adult webmaster must be willing and able to learn new skills. An adult webmaster should be capable of building a porn site without wasting precious hours, jacking off to pictures of boobies. An adult webmaster needs to buy content, build sites, promote sponsors and follow rules. An adult webmaster has to behave in a professional manor and handle their duties professionally. That means meeting deadlines, working when you don't feel like it and most important of all, it means paying your bills.
Let me ask you something. Have you ever had to wait longer than promised for a sponsor to send you a payout check? Pretty crappy waiting isn't it? You worked for that money. They owe you that money. How dare they make you wait for it? How dare they pay late when you have rent to pay and food to buy?
Now, reverse the positions.
Imagine how others feel when you don't pay your bills on time. Do you think your host enjoys it when you're late with your fees? Do you really believe that a content provider or site designer is happy to let your payment slide just because you have a delightful personality? Are you positive that the programmer that built your script is going to sit patiently until you decide you're ready to give them the money they already earned?
In high school, we get reputations for being bullies, overachievers or sluts. When we graduate from the confines of public education, those old reputations fade way. We become new and our reputations are built not by gossip or grades but by our actions. When you get a reputation for not paying your bills, it doesn't fade away. If just one vendor or site designer decides to take your non-payment public, your professional, adult reputation is ruined, possibly forever. One thing doesn't change after high school: People talk. Adult webmasters can forgive little things like asshole behavior and political disagreements.
What they won't forgive is a freeloader.
Pay your bills. Pay them on time. You're not a teenager anymore. The adult Internet is for adults. It's time you act like one.