There was an interesting interview with noted author and HTML expert Laura Lemay. It said:

"If Laura Lemay were to assemble a Web site's dream team, she would first narrow the search down to four types of people: a writer with a journalism background, a programmer, a designer with some training in the visual arts, and a "curious person" who would be up on all the industry trivia, the players, the available technologies and where to find them on the Web. Then, Lemay said, if she had to come up with an organizational hierarchy, she would place the writer at the top." --Web Week, 6/17/96

I'm that person Laura Lemay would want at the top of the web site team: a writer with a journalism background. I'm also that curious person, up on the Internet trivia and technologies.

As a newspaper graphics reporter, my job was to gather information and then work with an artist to tell a story visually. It required interviewing, writing, organizational and design skills along with a healthy dose of computer literacy.

My job was pure joy, but when the web began emerging prominently in late 1994, I saw a new medium where I could apply my skills to bring information to life. I left to pursue a goal of creating content-oriented, modem-accessible sites that I called "14.4K friendly."

From January 1995 through May 1996, I was general manager of Maximized Online, a web design shop and subsidiary of Maximized Software. During my time there, I oversaw the development of sites for 95.9 FM KEZY, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Calavo Growers of California, the Santa Ana Zoo and AIDS Walk Orange County (site descriptions and links are in my web site portfolio).

I also conducted research into the operation of search engines, much of which can now be found in the well-received Search Engine Watch web site.

I was just beginning work on a new web site project when Maximized Software decided to focus its efforts solely on software products. Maximized Online was closed, but the client asked me to continue guiding the project. Calafia Consulting was born.

Since that time, I've enjoyed immersing myself totally in a single project, rather than worrying about the time-consuming duties of overseeing a entire web design shop. My wife is certainly happier, too.