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What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

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Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#31

Post by access_denied »

Xurinos wrote: post #12

Whenever I hear the phrases "rock star developer" or "code ninja", I think, "Oh, they want some young fresh-out-of-college full-of-himself developer who thinks a language named after a rock is the wave of the future." Jokes aside, those phrases raise red flags in my mind. I think maybe it is that from such an employer, I would expect to see the occasional presentation with swear words ("We're all adults, here" -- "Su…

I have a hard time taking people seriously, who mistake professionalism with formalism and deem said formalism a little bit too important.

Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#32

Post by steerpike »

thirdstation wrote: post #2

Why are software developers segmented between "rock stars" and "not rock stars"? A salary estimate search on Simply Hired for "rockstar accountant" yielded no results :-)

Becuase its the software developers' turn.

Strangely enough, it happened in hospitality just before I left that industry, the term 'Rock star chef' was being used a lot to describe the new wave of chefs who were more interested in getting their profile up so they could get on television rather than actually try and cultivate a decent restaurant. The focus of the business drive shifted massively.

I have a vague theory that it just cycles through industry after industry and it's interesting to try and spot the wave before it occurs.

Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#35

Post by joelmichael »

I have never minded terms of endearment and respect like "rock star". Much better than being treated like a lowly cog, if you're the sort of developer that has some ambition and self-respect. I think the term comes from coders who are a bit hipper and more arrogant in their attitude than your typical computer nerd. I understand some might find that attitude grating, but I don't really care. Their attitudes are boring and docile.

Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#36

Post by thenduks »

gaius wrote: post #16
thenduks wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's exactly the point, they aren't . It's just a buzzword to draw attention to a job posting just like "senior" or "experienced" were before it. No reason to start the hype machine up over this stuff, if you ask me.

It is the complete opposite of "senior" or "experienced". It's 22-years-old, thinks the web is all of the computing world, and thinks fleshing out a framework is all there is to programming.

Sorry, I think you misunderstand my point. I'm not comparing the terms' meaning, but rather the purpose of using them. You want to attract a certain kind of developer with a term like 'rock star' or 'ninja', just like you want to attract a certain kind with 'senior' or 'experienced'. That's all. The point is they don't really mean anything.

Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#37

Post by terra_t »

+10

I worked at one of these places, as a contractor. They never offer health insurance. They buy a lot of pizza and junk food, and give out lots of cheap praise, but will never send you to a conference or otherwise contribute to your well-being or professional development.

These guys offered me a permanent position, and I turned it down for a real job.

Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#38

Post by motters »

The whole notion of software engineers having much in common with rock stars seems rather misguided. Being a software engineer does not usually involve making loud noises, trashing hotel rooms, having a shallow superficial personality, attracting teenage groupies of the opposite sex, repeatedly firing your manager or buying football teams.

Re: What developers think when you say "Rock Star"

#39

Post by mey »

Xurinos wrote: post #12

Whenever I hear the phrases "rock star developer" or "code ninja", I think, "Oh, they want some young fresh-out-of-college full-of-himself developer who thinks a language named after a rock is the wave of the future." Jokes aside, those phrases raise red flags in my mind. I think maybe it is that from such an employer, I would expect to see the occasional presentation with swear words ("We're all adults, here" -- "Su…

To me, rock star/code ninja also conveys a bit of prima-dona attitude. I'd rather take someone humble over egotistical any day of the week.
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