Deleuze says "make a map, not a tracing." Here the map is the tracing, because mapmakers in this sense are intent on capturing the territory and the raw data in

Deleuze says "make a map, not a tracing." Here the map is the tracing, because mapmakers in this sense are intent on capturing the territory and the raw data in the finest fidelity, rather than capturing the essence of the territory. (It's arguable that the former is a prerequisite for the latter, but it might also be arguable that focusing on the former makes you lose sight of the latter.) This article is also reminiscent of Seeing Like A State, which is quickly becoming my favorite book. The book notes that maps (and map-like devices, like censuses, even systems of measures), again prove to be an imperfect device for capturing physical or social reality, failing because the territory changes too much too quickly.