Merging, Masquerading and Morphing: Metaphors and the World Wide Web
通过比较世界银行发展网关项目下的29个门户网站，研究了专家、市场和社区三种隐喻在网站设计中的单独或组合作用，揭示了合并、伪装和变形三种组合方式，对理解网站设计与用户互动有参考价值。
We examine the role of metaphors in relation to Web-based phenomena through a comparative study of 29 Web portals, established under a World Bank project known as the Development Gateway. Our analysis suggests that three metaphors — expert, market and community — are particularly significant across these portals, either separately or in combination. The study indicates three particular ways in which these metaphors can combine — merging, masquerading and morphing. We conclude by discussing the implications of using metaphor to understand how practitioners design Web portals and how users engage with them.