IMS 103 Assignment Blog

Collect from any source (conversation, print, television) uses of technological metaphors for human beings or human interactions. How might these metaphors affect the way we think and feel? How might they affect public policy? Jot down the metaphors you encounter and any thoughts you have about their effects. Bring your notes to class.

“A monkey could do this.”
This metaphor comes from when a task is so simple that people say, “A monkey could do this,” implying that the task doesn’t require much brainpower. I’ve said this in my programming classes, when the labs being done are so simple they feel like they’re killing off brain cells from drudgery, rather than making new ones. This metaphor affects people because sometimes, when a person is very good at doing what they’re referring to as monkey-capable, they give others the impression that something might be easier than it really is. As for affecting public policy, political talkers have sometimes referred to George Bush as a monkey. While I might agree with this view, I think that it doesn’t give foreign nations a good image of the US to see people referring to their President as doing such a bad job that a monkey could handle running the nation.

“He/she is a machine!”
I often tease my boyfriend and tell him he’s a programming machine. Because of where he works (Electronic Arts) it’s not uncommon for him to spend 10-12 hours a day programming. I feel that he understands things in a very technical way, whereas I understand things in a more organic way, so when I ask him for help sometimes, I feel as if his programming machine brain switched on (because of the complexity and completeness of his response). Personally, his acting like a machine can make me feel less intelligent than I am, and will often frustrate me when I don’t understand one of his explanations completely. As for affecting public policy…I don’t think this metaphor really affects public policy in any way.

“Join the Party! (become a Mac user)”
Apple uses, “join the party” as a reason for PC users to switch to Macs, telling them that they’ll become part of a large base of fanboys and fangirls, and be instantly popular for having a Mac computer. The metaphor here is that “Mac = popular.” For someone that doesn’t own a Mac, they often see Apple users as cliquish and devoted to praising Apple, yet if/when they make the switch, they too join the clique. Macs are often seen on TV shows and movies, thus extending the notion of them making a person popular if they own a Mac. From being a Mac owner myself, I agree that owning one makes you feel superior to a smug PC user who “won’t touch it because there’s only one button on the mouse” – people who don’t understand the full power of the Macintosh platform. I almost always get stares or comments when I use my iBook in a public place, and it’s often a conversation starter. As with the previous metaphor, I don’t think that this metaphor affects public policy.