Taxonomy Trees (TT)

There are Three Trends (TT) that dominate the discussion of taxonomy.

First attribute of taxonomy is its unavoidable ambiguity. Take the term "epic", as an example. It's a bona-fide English word. One might think of a Leo Tolstoy with his multi-volume novels.  In software engineering, the term is used as a high-level requirement that encompasses other low-level stories. Epic is a special word that have a certain meaning within the boundaries of a certain projects.

Second, terms are like coins. After putting them in a circulation, they rub against each other for awhile, and they lose their identity, as their face-value becomes obsolete. Think about how does it happen? What is the mechanics of losing value after an extensive circulation? Apparently, the term "epic" could have many meanings that rub against each other, so their colloquial meaning becomes an average of each individual meaning.

Third attribute of many terms is their metaphorical dimension. When Andy Grove titled his book "Only The Paranoid Survives", he did not imply a literal meaning of a clinical condition requiring a medical attention. It is up to a reader to interpret and to apply this apparent metaphor. When Michael Fagan writes in his paper, "moderator's task is to invite the phantom inspector" - he did not mean to chase after ghosts, but he meant to assure the team collaborates synergistically. Hence, the task in front of us is to overcome the shallow literal interpretation and to reach the real author's intent.

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