Thursday, January 27, 2011

maps

Before taking this class, I'd never really thought about maps. I guess I just thought they were boring lines on a page or a computer screen. Not very interesting. Back in the day before GPS's became the new thing, everybody had a massive city road map folded up and stowed away in a compartment in their car for when they got lost. In social class I studied topographical maps of the planet. And that's about as "into maps" as I got. I guess if I had ever taken the time to think about it, I would have realized there are so many more ways to map a city than roads, but I just never bothered to think about it. The sound maps were SO interesting to me, because it's such a different way of mapping from anything else I've ever seen. It's like getting an actual glimpse into life in other cities. Another thing that I thought was pretty eye-opening was seeing how inaccurate maps can be. I guess I already knew this, because I've followed instructions from my GPS perfectly, and ended up in a field in the middle of nowhere... not exactly where I was trying to get to. Anyways, these last couple of classes have given me something to think about. Turns out maps are pretty interesting after all.
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3 comments:

  1. hx90January 30, 2011 at 4:32 AM

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  2. hx90January 30, 2011 at 4:34 AM

    Your point regarding old-school maps and the introduction of GPS compelled me to comment on your post. Don't you just miss the days where you had that gigantic, disastrous heap of paper in your glove compartment that we called a "city map" which was near impossible to fold back together? I ask that in the most rhetorical, obvious way possible, haha. You're right, even GPS isn't accurate at times. I don't think any technology will ever completely substitute for our own lack of direction. It makes for interesting road trips, though.

    P.S. The first post messed up somehow, so I deleted it. Sorry!

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  3. Leah MurphyJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    I've definitely gone astray when following the google maps ap. on my iphone, so I sympathize with your GPS mishaps. Your post definitely reminded me of poking around my parents glove compartment and seeing it stuffed full of various maps and me dreading ever having to navigate them. Road maps are not fun for the navigationally challenged.

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