<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@whitequark" class="u-url mention">@<span>whitequark</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.transneptune.net/@owen" class="u-url mention">@<span>owen</span></a></span> I am pretty sure I encountered these real-world ideas, or at least understood their connection to the computer ideas, *after* encountering them on the computer. I think the metaphors are still useful because they are *some kind of concept* that gets reused. It has a name and its use within the software is helpful because the software, at least, is consistent about its meaning, even if it's otherwise a pure floating signifier</p>
