Metaphors be with you! (Metaphor System)

The original formulation of XP promoted metaphor to the status of essential practice. XP was the only agile method that made the use of metaphor this explicit and essential - unique. Unique: and immediately controversial. Few practitioners claimed to understand the intent of metaphor as a practice, how to devise and evaluate metaphors, or the relationship of metaphor to design and the other XP practices. As XP evolved metaphor was demoted and is no longer a separate practice. Most agile proponents mention metaphor and acknowledge minor uses. This paper argues that XP was wrong to abandon metaphor and advocates a more systematic discussion of how metaphor informs development.