The case against analogies is like trying to teach something to someone without any kind of frame of reference. A well-crafted analogy is frequently one of the

The case against analogies is like trying to teach something to someone without any kind of frame of reference. A well-crafted analogy is frequently one of the best tools a teacher (or lecturer on technical subjects) has to make an abstract concept relatable to the student/listener. To the article's point, however, a really good analogy is one where likeness of the things being related are readily apparent, or at least easy to explain. The example of Karen (or was it Beth?) conflating X::Y to A::B is a lack of apprehension on her part. This is more an issue of communication and lack of precise understanding; once that's cleared up Karen will get it rather quickly.