No, he's saying the analogies are far short of appropriate:
Seriously guys…I’m sure we can think of some ego flattering terms for a good programmer that don’t immediately imply that hiring them would be an act of blatant stupidity. I’m open to suggestions.
Ah ha, so is English not your first language? If so, that may be part of why this didn't work for me.
I don't think that when we say "Ninja" or "Rockstar" we are even remotely referring to their actual definitions or what they really are in the real world.
A "Ninja", where I'm from, is considered swift, quiet, stealth, accurate and focused.
A "Rockstar" is just bigger than life, someone others can only aspire to be but few will ever be.
English is my first language. American, not as much..and SV slang most definitely not. I actually like the term ninja when applied to IT depts because I actually do want my router installed without having to hear Samurai war cries. But coding? I admittedly don't get it. There is way too much baggage in those terms. Perhaps from being in the music industry for too many years.
All in all, I just think the ninja / rockstar meme jumped the shark long ago (how's that for slang?) to the point that I actually irritated myself while writing web site copy using those very words. Anyway, no offense intended.
Seriously guys…I’m sure we can think of some ego flattering terms for a good programmer that don’t immediately imply that hiring them would be an act of blatant stupidity. I’m open to suggestions.