[Ayatana] Semantic Metaphors

[Frederik Nnaji <frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx>]

Metaphors are vehicles that convey the meaning of an object or phenomenon by evoking associative thinking.
In simpler words:
Metaphors help you understand stuff better.

Here some different types of metaphors:

* visual metaphors
* rethorical figures 
* auditive metaphors (e.g. incoming message sound in IM apps)
* systematic metaphors aka conceptual metaphors  (e.g. in Actor, Stakeholder etc in UML)

As you have probably noticed by now, language itself is based on metaphorism.

Associating a word with an object in itself already is not solid fact, but metaphor.
"Tree" for example stands for a shape, as much as it stands for a plant.
Plant stands for an even harder to grasp concept, hard to grasp itself is also a metaphor.

"Communicology" by Vilém Flusser addresses these topics in an exhaustive way.. 

How about developing a systematic metaphor³ for each interaction object we add to a UI during design?
* What is the systematic metaphor for "minimize"?

* how would one define a systematic metaphor for "full screen mode"?
* what is the semantic significance of the cancel button in a webbrowser?

i could go on with this for days i bet, since many of the controls and interaction objects we use do not sit upon a proper semantic foundation yet..

please share your ideas!

¹ http://tango.freedesktop.org/Icon_Metaphors
² http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/347

³ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor