Oh boy, it looks like I get to ask the first question about ExtremeProgrammingExplainedEmbraceChange; to wit: : KentBeck, you fairly carefully divide up responsibilities between Business and Development. One thing I don't see, however, is where the SystemMetaphor comes from. Who creates the metaphor? When do they create it? What sort of give-and-take is there when the metaphor is created? What do you do about the metaphor when confronted with an existing (presumably non-extreme system)? Well, gee, it looks like I asked more than just the first question... -- BillTrost ---- I didn't have a problem with "Who creates the metaphor?". I thought it would be the only folks who give a rat's anus what's in the metaphor. And since the Metaphor gives working names to all the things users should consider objects, the engineers should use the Metaphor to advertise what they are doing back to the marketing side. -- PhlIp ---- It appears that the questions are not addressed. They may seem to have obvious answers, to those heavily into XP, but I fail to see: 1) Where does the SystemMetaphor come from? 2) Who creates or establishes the metaphor? 3) When is the metaphor created? 4) Once created, what flow (give and take) is expected or encountered? Would someone who knows (and cares to provide) the answers to any or all of the questions do so? ---- ''I am not as qualified as the XP Gods (I'm not worthy-)))) but I asked these questions too so I'll try to answer what I think. The SystemMetaphor is the overall Architecture. The team creates the metaphor at a meeting/session. It is sort of the overall direction/architecture for the whole project. This is done early in the project at the time of defining UserStories or even before.'' -- sg ---- ThankYou. When I looked at how long ago the initial question was asked and the seeming critical space the SystemMetaphor occupies, I was amazed that the question had not been addressed on this page. It seems some considerable discussion exists regarding MetaphorVsArchitecture on other Pages: ---- ---- New question: In exactly how many weeks will ScottAdams do a DilBert containing eXtreme jokes?