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Metaphors We Code By or What we talk about when we talk about software Nat Pryce [email protected] @natpryce github.com/npryce

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A Layered Architecture Diagram Hardware Device Drivers Operating System Application Hardware Device Drivers Operating System Application Or? Which feels right?

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The Embodied Mind We live ➢ in the physical world ➢ in a culture

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Example: MORE IS UP From The Guardian website, 15/05/2014: “OVO Energy raises prices 3%” “...soaring values have revived idea of selling part of property portfolio...” “...nation's top 10% owning 44% of household wealth...” “Ministry of justice figures show number of convictions fell by only 69...” “Labour's nosedive in the opinion polls…”

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Mapping to Different Abstract Concepts Up Down etc. More Less Happy Sad Pure Corrupt Abstract Concrete People Animals Controlling Controlled

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Types of Conceptual Metaphor One thing for another, physical for abstract Up/Down, Near/Far, Facing towards/away Large/Small Inside/Outside, Boundary, Surface Extent, Covering, … Light/Heavy Bright/Dark ... Ontological Orientation Size Containment Surface Weight Shade ...

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Entailment and Coherence Read: “Following the report, shares in XYZ Plc took a nosedive and were in freefall by close of trading.” Think: “I should bail out of my investment in XYZ Plc. before the stock hits rock bottom.”

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Another Example: ARGUMENT IS WAR From The Guardian website, 17/05/2014: “Sussex police under fire for 'criminalising' fracking protests” “Nigel Farage has attempted to defend his controversial remarks...” “Michael Gove ordered to seal truce as Clegg hits back...”

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Example: AN ARGUMENT IS A BUILDING “Alice's argument is supported by recent research.” “The foundations of Bob’s argument are rather shaky.” “Carol has put together a convincing case.”

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ARGUMENT IS WAR AN ARGUMENT IS A BUILDING “To demolish my opponent’s argument I should undermine it by attacking its weak foundations.” Coherence Of Argument Metaphors

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Conceptual / Conventional Metaphor Concrete Concepts Abstract Concepts

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Figurative / Unconventional Metaphor Conventional Concrete Concepts Abstract Concepts Unconventional Concrete Concepts

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Figurative / Unconventional Metaphor Metaphors We Live By, Lakoff and Johnson, 1980. “...in getting us to try to understand how it could be true, it makes possible a new understanding…”

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The Desktop User Interface Metaphor Apple Lisa

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Metaphor Stretched Ad Absurdum Microsoft Bob

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Figurative Metaphor Has A Sell By Date iOS 6 iOS 7

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Idioms: Metaphors that have Kicked the Bucket Figurative metaphors can become common phrases in language When we forget the original meaning of the phrase, it loses its explanatory power. The phrase fossilises as an idiom

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Technical Idioms Library Patch Log

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Whatever happened to XP’s System Metaphor?

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Metaphors We Code By

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Vertical Orientation of Layers Hardware Device Drivers Operating System Application Hardware Device Drivers Operating System Application Or? Which feels right?

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Vertical Orientation in UML Or? Shape Circle Rectangle Shape Circle Rectangle Which feels right?

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Vertical Orientation ABSTRACT IS UP CONTROL IS UP PEOPLE IS UP HARDWARE IS DOWN (STATIC) DEPENDENCIES POINT DOWNWARDS ...

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Containment PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES ARE CONTAINERS CONTROL AT THE CENTER VULNERABLE IN THE CENTER “The system is in Java” Encapsulation Hexagonal Architecture Privilege ring levels ...

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User-facing features Front-end developer Database back-end Externally facing services ... Orientation: Facing Towards Something THE SYSTEM FACES THE USER THE SYSTEM FACES OTHER SYSTEMS

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Size Big Data “Big Iron” (mainframes) Software design diagrams could make better use of BIG IS IMPORTANT BIG IS IMPORTANT BIG IS POWERFUL

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Metaphor for the Jobbing Software Designer?

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Metaphorical Blinkers Image CC-BY-SA 2.0 Pete Markham Metaphors We Live By, Lakoff and Johnson, 1980. “In allowing us to focus on one aspect of a concept, a metaphorical concept can keep us from focusing on other aspects of the concept that are inconsistent with the metaphor.”

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Undesired Entailment

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Entailment: Layering, Balance & Size Database ORM Domain Model UI Or? Which feels right? Database ORM Domain Model UI

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E.g. Tiers vs Layers Similar in real life Different technically Often conflated Image CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 THEMACGIRL* Mixed Metaphors

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Sketch the design in different ways

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Watch your language! Design collaboratively Listen for metaphor Tacit assumptions? Tacit entailment?

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In Summary ❖ Metaphor is inescapable ❖ Metaphor can help and hinder ❖ Be conscious of how we use metaphor