Metaphors are a platform

Read/WriteWeb: Metaphors are a platform

So all in all I like metaphors and think they're very much appropriate for technical subjects. But after a while they seem to outlive their purpose, especially on the Web. That's the danger of statements like 'The Web is a platform', which I am fond of making.

I agree whole heartedly that metaphors ease technical conversations with non-technical parties. Even with technical parties, they can establish a common agreement from which to move forward.

However, I often struggle with metaphors because they are an agreement: each party agrees on the definition of the metaphor without additional substantiation.  I have found that this can lead to great tragedies when each party doesn't fully agree.  What does Web 2.0 mean: AJAX, social applications, mash-ups, api's (or Web Services or HTTP Web Services or Web APIs)  It can be any of them, all of them or more, and this is exacerbated when we address audiences with different backgrounds.  Speaking with a VC regarding Web 2.0 can have a very different meaning than speaking with an advertising agency, media planner, content producer, or entrepreneur.  Without stepping into that agreement, meanings can vary wildly and the challenge to rebuild the conversation can be frustrating.

Metaphors are asynchronous and continually evolve.  Since Cluetrain Manifesto was started in '99, and the book published in 2000, the theses have been used in many different postings, applied to many different ideas, and referenced for many different arguments. Fantastic! However, there is an evolution of the thoughts and they exist at different levels dependent upon where you exist: bleeding edge, cutting edge, early adopter, mass adopter, late adopter, my Father, and finally my Mother. By the time that it has filtered through the different levels, it is tough to ensure that the metaphor is an agreement. To my Mother, the Information Super Highway is just starting to sink in.

I judge the length of my interactions prior to diving into metaphors. It may be counterintuitive, however, the less time I have, the less I use metaphors, as I find that they make additional time for agreement and restrict my ability to communicate what is at hand. It is more powerful to agree on the metaphor and be able to reference it throughout the conversation. However, do I dictate another person's time in agreeing on metaphors for what could be esoteric ideas? Do my Mother and I need to agree on a metaphor prior to us emailing each other? Hell no, she just wants me to email more.