# How First Impressions Shape Client Choices and Views of the Web Industry

DevFeed: [How First Impressions Shape Client Choices and Views of the Web Industry](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/tales-o-tech-suffering-fools-40792.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://zeldman.com/2026/09/01/tales-o-tech-suffering-fools/>)

Author: L. Jeffrey Zeldman

Published: 2026-09-01T13:10:32Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Jeffrey Zeldman](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jeffrey-zeldman.md>)

Topics: [web design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-design.md>), [Web Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-development.md>), [CSS](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/css.md>), [web-standards](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-standards.md>)

Tags: [css](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/css.md>), [design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/design.md>), [glamorous](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/glamorous.md>), [my-glamorous-life](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/my-glamorous-life.md>), [post](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/post.md>), [tech](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tech.md>), [technofascism](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/technofascism.md>), [web](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web.md>), [web-design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web-design.md>), [web-standards](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web-standards.md>)

## AI overview

Jeffrey Zeldman reflects on encounters with rude or exploitative people in the web industry and argues that early impressions can foreshadow later conduct. He connects a past website-design negotiation to a former partner's role in changing Twitter's verification system.

## Source excerpt

Why first impressions are often correct. Today's jerk is tomorrow's techno-fascist. The post Tales o' Tech: Suffering Fools appeared first on Jeffrey Zeldman Presents.