The challenges created by websites like MySpace (I don’t know Piczo) are very different — the impression created can be a complication. I haven’t encountered it myself, really, but I can imagine that clients who are experienced with things like MySpace or other “design your own” services may have a serious misconception about the challenges and tasks in best practice web design.

Largely because they have no sense of ‘best practice,’ perhaps…

“Well it looks ok in my web browser.”

I think it raises more challenges these days with website like Myspace and Piczo, because to the average person it makes building websites look as easy as move this, do that, put that here done!

If only it was that simple.

For me, turning down a job is something I’m more likely to do because of the client than because of the site. However frustrating the work itself could be, if I’ve got buy-in from the client and a good working relationship the process will be just fine.

To me personally a big part of this trade is the pleasure of making something from nothing happen on screen, the power of CSS, the magic of PHP. But this is me, and my situation differs from that of most web developers. So, “Jobs from Hell” I can do without.

@David — - the scary thing with server-side problems, too, is that frequently you won’t learn about them until later on in the job. They aren’t always obvious from the front-end!

@David - that just gives me the chills. I don’t want to know what the size of that file is.

@David — - Yikes. What an awful piece of development. I don’t think it’s fair to say that this is the fault of a site which “uses server-side technologies.” More the fault of a site which “uses server-side technologies badly.” That’s a good example of a legacy package which is simply beyond correction.

It’s certainly true that starting over can sometimes be the only way to go.