Or using an electronics analogy, text is wire and objects are connectors. Sometimes all you need is to temporarily connect things together, the environment is

Or using an electronics analogy, text is wire and objects are connectors. Sometimes all you need is to temporarily connect things together, the environment is benign, and your requirements are not demanding. But Mouser.com shows over 2 000 000 entries (over 390 000 datasheets) in "Connectors". High current, high voltage, high frequency, environmental extremes, safety requirements, ... There are all sorts of situations where crimping wires together won't do the job. Same with text. By the same token, there are all sorts of situations where text will do the job, but people are tempted to over-engineer things.