This content originally appeared on Perishable Press and was authored by Jeff Starr
Was thinking of the things that are absolutely essential for my line of work, at least for my own operation working with WordPress and web development. Not so much the technical and code side of things, but more of the “meta” or “big picture” type of stuff. Some are simple and others require a bit of explanation. Some are specific to working on the Web, and some probably would apply to any line of work. But I am a web developer so I’ll speak to what I know. Hopefully it gives you some insight and ideas for your own routine. Here are my 10 “hardline” rules for dev work..
Security issues
Security issues handled top priority above everything else.
Sharing passwords
No sharing of any passwords ever. Not always possible, but a good goal.
Client sites
No logging in to any live/production user sites, for any reason, ever. If it is absolutely necessary to test something on a user site, it must be a private/development site, and the user (site owner) must agree to a no-liability disclaimer.
User feedback
Always listen to user feedback, even when negative or harsh. Celebrate positive feedback and share it online. Acknowledge negative feedback and be up-front and honest with your response. Whenever possible use feedback to improve the quality of your products.
User support
Always try to help. Regardless of the reason someone needs support, or has a complaint, or wants to share ideas and feedback. Always try to approach with a heart of “I want to help.” I have been practicing this for 20+ years and only rarely does it not work. Most people understand when you are genuinely trying to help, and tend to reciprocate the effort. Even in the most extreme cases, like when someone really wants to cause problems, it doesn’t always work 100% but can help to alleviate some of the inflammation.
Stay focused
Have clear purpose and focus for each project. Follow the roadmap and avoid bloat. Don’t add features that are unnecessary or outside project scope. Aim for lightweight, minimal, and always keep performance in mind.
Marketing
As a solo developer, it’s up to me to do pretty much everything. Planning, building, providing support, marketing, and everything in between. The thing is though, I know that one of my weaknesses is marketing. I’ve always looked at advertising and blatant self-promotion in a negative light. So I tend to struggle a bit when it comes to marketing and putting my stuff out there, hyping it up, and so forth. Yes my technique has improved over the years, finding that balance between effective marketing and maintaining my dignity. Point here is twofold: know your weaknesses and always work to improve.
Documentation
Be well documented on all fronts. This includes things like purchase agreements, terms of service, privacy notices, site cookies, and everything else you can think of. If in doubt, hit the search engines or just be lazy and ask your favorite AI prompt to make you a list of essential business documents. Be mindful, not every document is required for every business. The main point here is to cover your bases, think forward, and be prepared.
Data transfers
Always download assets and items directly via the source website. No sharing of random untrusted zip files. For example, client says “here are the plugins needed to repeat the issue”. And then links to some random dropbox downloads. Uh huh. Yeah sure, I am going to install your whatever scripts on my server. Even though I use an isolated, offline server set up exclusively for testing, why take a chance. So strict policy is download any necessary data from trusted resources only.
Backups
Archive everything and keep good working backups. I mean everything. For example, I have archived emails going back 20 years or more. I have archived complete working files for (almost) every project I’ve ever done. I take screenshots and save web pages for every important transaction. And then I make sure to keep good working backups of everything just in case. I have numerous backups, following the “3-2-1-1-0 Golden Rule”:
- Keep at least three copies of your data
- Store the backups on at least two different storage mediums
- Store at least one copy in an offsite location
- Store at least one copy offline
- Test your backups regularly
Stay current
Stay as current as possible. This probably is the most time-consuming and tiring part of my work. Staying current with all the different aspects of web dev, WP, tech and so forth. Everything changes constantly. And after many years ..well, it kind of gets old. You come to appreciate consistency and simplicity in a deep and profound way. Of course, there are tools to make it easier to stay abreast of all the latest breaking changes. AI, RSS, and search engines being the most helpful.
Etiquette
No political discussion online. Anywhere, ever. Although I have slipped a few times on Facebook, I enforce upon myself a strict “no politics” policy when online. Going further, I try to avoid any sort of online confrontations or arguments entirely. It’s much easier and more productive to mind my own business and stick to business related topics while browsing social media and elsewhere online.
Mindset
Although not always possible or easy, I strive to have a positive mindset while working. This includes goals such as:
- Be consistent
- Always be learning
- Be open to new ideas
- Find work/life balance
- Help others when possible
- Collaborate on projects
- Engage with community
- Share freely
- Give back
Additionally, strive to stay healthy and manage time efficiently. More so than income, health and time are your most valuable assets.
Move forward
Keep moving forward. When you’re up you can fly as far as possible, go with it. But life brings challenges, so when you’re down just keep moving forward, even if you’re just doing a little each day, the cumulative result is still moving you forward. And when things get really rough, do the absolute minimum: maintain what you’ve got and keep things going as much as possible. Newbies may not “get” this concept, but anyone who’s been online for a while knows exactly what I’m talking about.
This content originally appeared on Perishable Press and was authored by Jeff Starr
Jeff Starr | Sciencx (2025-05-15T18:07:14+00:00) Rules Guiding My Web Dev Work. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/05/15/rules-guiding-my-web-dev-work/
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