running your own website
 

Many of us, adventure game makers and fans, have our own web sites. I bet that we aren't web professionals, and we've had web problems that we're too ashamed to admit.

Last night I spent several frustrating hours trying to fix a problem that a web professional could fix in a couple of minutes. I finally cut the Gordian knot by registering a completely new web name. I didn't have the time to wade through every little problem. Details are here.

Does anyone else run a web site and wants to admit that they know less than people think? Has anyone else struggled late at night on a web problem, embarassed to ask for help because you know you wouldn't understand the advice?

No. That doesn't imply that I know everything, though. Far from it. I have asked stupid questions, but I don't think I've been afraid of asking. In situations like these, it's better to display ignorance and ask for help - if the advice given is too complicated to understand, you can always ask a follow-up question.

I almost started a thread at the time, but deleted it. My reasons were (1) it's very hard to know what the right question is, (2) it's very easy for the question to become unfeasibly long and detailed, and (3) the follow up question would lead to more follow up questions, which could take days, and then I'd feel like I was taking advantage of someone (basically asking them to be an unpaid consultant).

I've also had bad experiences with people being too helpful, and lacking the necessary mind reading and miracle working skills that I require. What I want is a solution that is quick, simple, cheap, and does what I want. But invariably I get suggestions that are time consuming, complex (for me) and only solve the problem I describe, not the one I was thinking about.

Maybe I'm just naturally awkward.