Author here. After reading the comments I’m afraid my article didn’t communicate the main point clearly. The mental models suggested here are sweet, but:
It’s not about how to explain recursion or programming, it’s about explaining abstract and complex concepts via adopting to the listener’s worldview and letting them experiment to evolve that view.
Thanks! It made me wonder at the time: how many SaaS products out there include these ghost users in their metrics and revenue reports? How many users sign up for stuff they don’t use, but still continue paying for it?
What’s more, I think the incentives are not aligned. People who write content nowadays don’t usually have the reader in mind, but instead focus on promoting something (a tech, a tool, or their personal brand): https://angryscript.home.blog/2020/05/08/in-2020-all-content...
It’s not about how to explain recursion or programming, it’s about explaining abstract and complex concepts via adopting to the listener’s worldview and letting them experiment to evolve that view.