Metaphors around Scheme
Lassi Kortela
(17 Jul 2019 14:10 UTC)
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Re: Metaphors around Scheme Lassi Kortela (17 Jul 2019 15:20 UTC)
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Re: Metaphors around Scheme
Arthur A. Gleckler
(17 Jul 2019 16:26 UTC)
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Re: Metaphors around Scheme Lassi Kortela 17 Jul 2019 15:20 UTC
> From the above, the ultimate Scheme metaphor could be a technical > drawing of the gear system in a classic watch :D > > I like that. As it happens, Prof. Sussman, coinventor of Scheme, is an > accomplished watch repair person. He repairs watch mechanisms as a hobby. Bullseye! Couldn't be a happier coincidence :) I wonder if he'd have the time to find some drawings for a good cause, or recommend some place where we could find them? Notice how much fun it is to design around metaphors that resemble the thing itself? Most programming sites ignore this and that's why they are not compelling. For example, the only thing python-related on the Python site is the logo, and the language itself doesn't have anything python-like about it. Since pythons are commonly feared or loathed, they are in a sticky situation to improve things. Perhaps subtle allusions to Monty Python would work, but jokes also wear out. It's a real challenge. With Scheme we are in a lucky position. "Scheme" is a word for which we can find many positive connotations outside computing. And Scheme itself is organized around a scheme (recursion) so its nature contains something of its own name. It would be awesome to design a whole website around these metaphors. (We don't have to stick to these particular metaphors, but I think we should use the general principle.) Recursion is a particularly challenging metaphor. Amirouche's idea of using computer-generated art is a good fit for it since that's often recursive (extra points if the art evokes a "scheme" in some way). The best possible outcome would be if we could organize the _information_ itself on the site in some kind of recursive way, but so that it remains easy to navigate. Design can be a very intellectually challenging field. By the way, many/most well-known commercial logos contain a hidden metaphor. Here are some examples: <https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/famous-brand-logos-hidden-meanings/>.