I also disagree that web designer don’t need to know how to code. If they don’t know, then they are graphic designers.
I have been working as web designer and frontend web developer for more than 10 years and in my experience all web designers that don’t know how to make their design work through code, really don’t know what is possible and more importantly - optimal. In my career I have came across many talented graphic designers that wanted to be web designers and their designs were always really bad when you take into account technologies required to make it work. Their sites were heavy when it comes to images and JS, HTML and CSS weren’t reusable. Object oriented programming is a must today.
Is this article supposed to justify lack of knowledge for some designers who want to design for web and applications as well? If it is, you are doing us all a huge disfavor.
I recognize only web designers who are frontend developers as well. Graphic designers are useful only for creation of banners, cover images and that’s mostly it. Sorry, but it is what it is. This is really demanding profession and people don’t need to have illusions about it.