4 ms·

But map should be accurate in the first place. It's not like you can just ignore things you don't want to see there just because they are naturally to big and t

by usaphp 10y ago

But map should be accurate in the first place. It's not like you can just ignore things you don't want to see there just because they are naturally to big and take up too much space

ludwigschubert 10y ago
I get what you're saying, and you are right, of course. I'm trying to think of this not from a prescriptive position, though, but thinking of "why do people like Mercator". And I believe that people like the perceived efficiency of Mercator, in the sense that you can make a world map that fills more of its area with land mass. Or, addressing your comment more pointedly: yes, yes you can. You can ignore the Pacific Ocean on a world map most of the time. :D
win_ini 10y ago
Actually humans can do that. We orient ourselves using landmarks. If you look at theme park maps, ski resort maps, maps of tourist areas downtown produced by local organizations, subway maps.... All of them are wildly inaccurate in terms of proportions and distances. But notice - almost all are oriented to people not very familiar with that area. Certain big monuments may be left out (the highway that runs by water park, the big electric station across the street etc.
- alblue 10y ago
  Harry Beck invented the schematic map in 1931 for the London Underground (the worlds first underground railway). At first it wasn't widely accepted as a good idea (because it distorted relative distances) but over time has become a design icon and repeated elsewhere. http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-london-underground-map-the-design-that-shaped-a-city http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-london-undergr... https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-underground/a-brief-history-of-the-underground https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/...
jimueller 10y ago
A decorative toy map like this doesn't have to be accurate. Yes, you can ignore things for convenience. If I make a map that ignores the Pacific so I can focus on landmasses, it doesn't make the actual Pacific disappear. So yes, you can absolutely ignore things you don't want.

by usaphp 10y ago

But map should be accurate in the first place. It's not like you can just ignore things you don't want to see there just because they are naturally to big and take up too much space

ludwigschubert 10y ago

I get what you're saying, and you are right, of course. I'm trying to think of this not from a prescriptive position, though, but thinking of "why do people like Mercator". And I believe that people like the perceived efficiency of Mercator, in the sense that you can make a world map that fills more of its area with land mass. Or, addressing your comment more pointedly: yes, yes you can. You can ignore the Pacific Ocean on a world map most of the time. :D

win_ini 10y ago

Actually humans can do that. We orient ourselves using landmarks. If you look at theme park maps, ski resort maps, maps of tourist areas downtown produced by local organizations, subway maps.... All of them are wildly inaccurate in terms of proportions and distances. But notice - almost all are oriented to people not very familiar with that area. Certain big monuments may be left out (the highway that runs by water park, the big electric station across the street etc.

alblue 10y ago
Harry Beck invented the schematic map in 1931 for the London Underground (the worlds first underground railway). At first it wasn't widely accepted as a good idea (because it distorted relative distances) but over time has become a design icon and repeated elsewhere. http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-london-underground-map-the-design-that-shaped-a-city http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-london-undergr... https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-underground/a-brief-history-of-the-underground https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/...

jimueller 10y ago

A decorative toy map like this doesn't have to be accurate. Yes, you can ignore things for convenience. If I make a map that ignores the Pacific so I can focus on landmasses, it doesn't make the actual Pacific disappear. So yes, you can absolutely ignore things you don't want.