yapc_2014_abstract.mdk

I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like: How Cognitive Linguistics Can Help You Be A (More) Bad-ass Developer

How we think about a problem determines how we think about that problem's possible solutions. If we get the problem analysis right, the work that follows seems to flow along a natural course. Why is that? Where does that sense of a "natural course" or an "obvious solution" come from? Can we do it on purpose?

The field of cognitive linguistics-- which combines aspects of neurobiology, linguistics, and epistemology-- offers clues about how we think, and how we can think more productively about the problems we are tasked to solve as developers.

If you think metaphors are just for poetry and terrible puns are just for the break room, stop by this talk and learn how the mental mechanics behind those things can help you become a better problem-solver and a (more) bad-ass developer.

Topics Include:
* A short introduction to the core concepts of cognitive linguistics.
* How metaphor, metonymy, frames, and conceptual blending directly influence our day-to-day work as developers.
* Real-world examples of associative analysis in application and systems design/development.
* Tips and exercises for improving associative reasoning and applying it to your work.
* Pie.