4 ms·

In the early days of IT there was the concept that the best developers were strange, hard to get along with prima Donna’s.

watwut 5y ago
Yup. And that concept is still alive. If you act uncomfortably, there are people will assume it means you are better. (Had collegues express pretty much that believe a two years ago.) It led to being strange cool in the "in-group" which led to perfectly socially aware people acting strange where it would them cool points. I am not complaining here, I enjoyed it back then. Only later I realized what went on and how much of the "strage" were actually "very high social skill being used".
propogandist 5y ago
the IT Crowd captures it pretty well, for a British comedy series
lordnacho 5y ago
Common trope in certain walks of life. The primadonna idea itself is from performing arts (ballet?), and there are loads of stories about musicians requiring special attention. Sports as well, lots of stories about stars with odd routines or demanding behaviour. The thing that links them is you have someone who ostensibly creates so much value everyone else is supposed to live with their demands. It can be minor things. We had a trader in an firm I worked for who made the company hire a car to take him to work each morning. Certainly not a strange thing but it wasn't exactly something the couldn't pay for himself, nor a benefit that everyone enjoyed.
- bradleyjg 5y ago
  > The primadonna idea itself is from performing arts (ballet?) Opera
  - Jenk 5y ago
    Yep, literally translates as the first lady, but means the leading lady. They were the headliners that brought the crowds. If a show lost the primadonna, it lost the audience (and ticket sales) so they had much more bargaining power than the other performers.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- slx26 5y ago
  In my experience, many musicians and artists in general are weird people. Art is often a way to try to express how we don't fit in the world, or an attempt to express that which we can't express in other ways. And when I say "we can't express in other ways", that can mean that it's impossible, but also that the specific individual has trouble expressing it in the usual ways that other people turn to. So, they are kinda related. It's kinda tragic if you are that type of artist yourself and then realize that great part of what drives your art is... disconnection from the rest of the world. How your art might be a cry in some form, the result of your helplessness.

watwut 5y ago

Yup. And that concept is still alive. If you act uncomfortably, there are people will assume it means you are better. (Had collegues express pretty much that believe a two years ago.) It led to being strange cool in the "in-group" which led to perfectly socially aware people acting strange where it would them cool points. I am not complaining here, I enjoyed it back then. Only later I realized what went on and how much of the "strage" were actually "very high social skill being used".

propogandist 5y ago

the IT Crowd captures it pretty well, for a British comedy series

lordnacho 5y ago

Common trope in certain walks of life. The primadonna idea itself is from performing arts (ballet?), and there are loads of stories about musicians requiring special attention. Sports as well, lots of stories about stars with odd routines or demanding behaviour. The thing that links them is you have someone who ostensibly creates so much value everyone else is supposed to live with their demands. It can be minor things. We had a trader in an firm I worked for who made the company hire a car to take him to work each morning. Certainly not a strange thing but it wasn't exactly something the couldn't pay for himself, nor a benefit that everyone enjoyed.

bradleyjg 5y ago
> The primadonna idea itself is from performing arts (ballet?) Opera
- Jenk 5y ago
  Yep, literally translates as the first lady, but means the leading lady. They were the headliners that brought the crowds. If a show lost the primadonna, it lost the audience (and ticket sales) so they had much more bargaining power than the other performers.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
slx26 5y ago
In my experience, many musicians and artists in general are weird people. Art is often a way to try to express how we don't fit in the world, or an attempt to express that which we can't express in other ways. And when I say "we can't express in other ways", that can mean that it's impossible, but also that the specific individual has trouble expressing it in the usual ways that other people turn to. So, they are kinda related. It's kinda tragic if you are that type of artist yourself and then realize that great part of what drives your art is... disconnection from the rest of the world. How your art might be a cry in some form, the result of your helplessness.