Technology Portfolios: A Metaphor For Usersʼ Technology Selections While Mobile?

Humans employ metaphors to understand, communicate and appropriate new, complex or perplexing aspects of their lives. This paper suggests that the rapid diffusion and widespread acceptance of mobile technologies have not been accompanied by a rich set of metaphors. Apt metaphors might help us to make sense of these technologies and the new practices that are emerging around them. The metaphor of a technology portfolio is proposed for users\u27 selections and deployment of technologies while mobile. Three case studies examining users’ technology selections while mobile are described. Observed practices can be understood and explained using the technology portfolio metaphor. The metaphor is particularly valuable given the changing nature of mobile technologies and the resulting difficulties in envisioning likely future needs and practice