
Number of job listings with the term “ninja” have increased 2,505% in past 6 yrs - pitdesi
http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2012/05/18/in-demand-ninjas-jedis-and-gurus/?mod=e2tw
======
MartinCron
I don't like it, but I do _get_ it. There's something to the romantic notion
of being so competent that what you do looks like some mystical martial art to
someone on the outside.

That said, it's a cliche, and I always avoid cliches like the plague.

~~~
jack-r-abbit
> _I always avoid cliches like the plague._

I see what you did there...

------
iterationx
>>sadly, none was for actual mercenaries trained in martial arts—the analysis
found.

------
taude
You are not being creative/edgy/innovative/etc. when using terms ninja,
unicorn, rockstar in your job posting. These three words are have morphed into
cliches being used by hiring managers who think they're on the "pulse".

~~~
knighthacker
I fear the word "hacker" is also starting to be a little bit cliche :(

~~~
taude
Ahh, yes, hacker and as someone said above "pirate". I actually find all these
terms a little insulting, making me feel like they're want to hire a twelve
year old - or something.

------
T_S_
The rockstars are really hurting these days, but don't be jealous of the
ninjas. The rocket scientists, mavens and even the experts have all been there
and faded. Some day maybe even the the worker bees who can block and tackle
will be back on top.

------
lobo_tuerto
Sure it's a relief to hear they are up again since their decline 400 years
ago.

------
jwoah12
Well the prevalence of programmers referring to themselves or others as ninjas
and jedis has the effect of proving that brogrammer culture hasn't taken
over...the industry is as nerdy as ever.

~~~
akavi
I have yet to be convinced that brogramming exists outside of jokes by nerdy
Starcraft-playing Facebook devs and the fevered dreams of CNN tech reporters.

~~~
calibraxis
I've met them. Once went to a Ruby meeting, and the presentation's slides
featured "My Little Brony". The guy's desktop background was of a manga girl
with very exaggerated features, and some in the audience (they were all males)
called out for him to keep the screen on her.

I left after the talk, and won't go again.

------
gouranga
And credibility in the industry has declined proportionally...

------
kephra
I've worked as a ninja programmer two times.

I wonder, if they really need a programmer who knows how to liquidate a
company, who is able to hack into computers without password after everybody
including the boss is fired.

I never worked as a rock star programmer, but I did know a few mainframe
programmers who had been treated as such, including flowers and fruits for the
hotel.

------
ChuckMcM
This is certainly an area where ninja > pirate as advertising for 'pirate
programmers' probably would not give you the same results (although I
acknowledge it might get you better programmers)

------
jack-r-abbit
Waiting for the uptick in job posting looking for "bacon zombies".

------
MehdiEG
Aren't they a little bit late in the game? The whole ninja / guru non-sense
culminated at some point last year but is pretty much gone now.

~~~
mhurron
Yep, it's all about the Pirates now.

------
michaelcampbell
This, too, shall pass.

------
borism
So many ninjas but no samurais in sight?

 _A ninja (忍者?) or shinobi (忍び?) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal
Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare. The functions of the ninja
included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat
in certain situations.[1] Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the
ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat._

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja>

~~~
_mayo
Not a programmer, but doesn't Jason Calacanis refer to himself as a Samurai?

~~~
borism
didn't notice that. what a weird thing to hear form Calacanis :)

