Conversation maps

Harvey and Marvin, two linguists of natural language processing, discuss a metaphorical kidnapping case.

...

Harvey: Six months ago, the only person talking about conversation maps was Warren Sack.

Marvin: Six months ago. And then what happened?

Harvey: You google CM now, and the links list is headed by some nurses saying a discussion about diabetes is a Conversation Map, and a Very Verbose somebody is defining a Conversation Map as a model for “creating a model of a messy situation.” And this guy has actually stuck a copyright mark on the expression.

Marvin: But if these are very specific instances of the word “conversation” and “map” others more genuinely entitled to use them, like conversation analysts, will pick them up and use them?

Harvey: They won’t be able to if someone from another field has got in first and copyrighted their use. The terms have been kidnapped.

Marvin: Relax Harvey. You’re a conversation analyst. You have a right to use the word. You draw pictures of conversations on paper, maps. What could be a clearer way to describe what you do?

Harvey: It’s a bit surprising that people from other fields are coming over the fence and taking such simple words…

Marvin: Out of our mouths?

Harvey: Why can’t they find their own metaphors?

Marvin: Metaphors are what language is built on. When scientists run out of words, they become predatory. When their own terms are too difficult, they become like Genghis Khan. They scale the wall. Invade new territory. But eventually they die away. According to Guy Deutscher, even grammar is a reef of dead metaphors.

Harvey: So now there are people out there trying to copyright metaphors.

...