Analogies are useful to a point. They allow people to relate new ideas back to something they are familiar with, giving them a safe framework from which to explore new territory. However they can also be immensely damaging and misleading. I was recently reminded of one particularly well worn example of the latter type that needs to be laid to rest once and for all: Building software is not the same as building a car. Developing a software product is definitely not a simple assembly line process. When building a car on an assembly line, you make the individual components - wheels, engine, chassis, seats etc - and then construct the finished item from these. Each component has already been designed in its own right, and they have all been proven to fit together many times previously. There is absolutely no creativity involved in the construction process. There are limited opportunities for different combinations of components (and those that are possible are well tested).
