Can we have a grown up conversation here? Analogies are not always useful and this Wind-in-the-Willows seems a particularly unuseful one. It's a very long way from how Agile works, for example. Try not to patronise the volunteers and end-users, please
Topic on Talk:Technical Collaboration Guidance/Vision
You have mentioned several times that you don't like the analogy. That is understood. Most people I have shared the analogy with are between neutral and thankful about it. I don't see how this analogy patronises anyone. I don't see specific reasons to remove it. It's an essay.
I said that it was patronising and unhelpful. That is why I don't like it. If you don't think it's patronising, imagine going to your Executive Director with a complex issue involving social, technical, economic, linguistic and political issues across multiple stakeholders, that needs careful discussion and hard thought, and getting a reply that begins "Imagine a river".
Oh no, wait a minute, that's exactly what we have here.
Your feedback is clear and sound. You don't like the analogy, I like it. You think it is patronising, I don't think so. I believe it might be useful and welcomed by some people, you don't. Let's wait for more opinions.
In case one more opinion helps, I appreciate the analogy. But I wouldn't drop (or keep) the analogy based on one (or ten) opinions in either direction.
Also, if you really believe it's "a very long way from how Agile works", I would be interested in discussing that more, in a new flow topic. It seems to align reasonably with my agile experience.