Place holder for a concept....

[johno]

Mail systems are like groups of monkeys passing coconuts around.

They often add recieved coconuts to the pile in front of them.

Sometimes they can pass the coconut on to the next set of monkeys.


I've got a training session coming up and I'm trying to get the idea of store-n-forward mail systems into a useful metaphor.


***Edit to add***

The USPO is a good base concept, however...

Modern mail systems sometimes do instant hand off.

Comments

[lemmozine.livejournal.com]

For me, the metaphor works better if the monkeys have to learn to be careful because one of the coconuts might contain a hidden lion that will eat the monkey, and another (sent by an evil boss) might fall on his head so the other monkeys can take all his coconuts away.

You could use Shel Silverstein's song "Killed By a Coconut" to illustrate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjkOHVVjCuA doesn't seem to have much in the way of video, but the audio is great (and no, that isn't Shel Silverstein - by the time of this recording, his voice was completely gone, and Bob Gibson may also have been inflicted with terminal cancer. More likely to be killed by a cigarette than a coconut.