Date : Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:06:49
From : heyrick.beebsoc@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: [BeebSoc] Re: Risc PC (Was 'Minitel in France')
On 24/07/2011 02:16, J.G.Harston wrote:
> and an actual replacement MOS that removed CFS/RFS and implemented
Whoo! ;-)
> Grrr. And the things they call "maps" online. Compare
> http://mdfs.net/maps/Sheffield/Walks/HighStoness.gif
Wait, hold up...
1. The "maps" most people see are not like that, they're like Google. I
have a map book of the roads of France. It isn't unlike Google.
2. There is a "terrain" option in Google Maps that adds shading for
height. I don't think many people use it.
3. The specific red-line height markers are only really of use to
walkers/hikers and such; thus outside of the... landranger? ... series
of maps, you'd be hard pushed to find such information. Most make do
with a little triangle height marker at periodic points, and some vague
form of shading to tell you it isn't flat, which is bugger-all use if
you have two roads and want to know which won't burn out the clutch...
> There was a report a few days ago saying that people aren't learning
> to read maps anymore "because of Google and GPS".
I think a fairly large percentage of people never did bother. I recall
back at school in the '80s others would be "how do you know that way is
hilly-er?" and I'd just point to the map. A map like the one you posted
a link to. *They* *did* *not* *get* *it*. [how hard is it? really?]
> They are 98%+ stripped down geographic information summaries.
i.e. the "maps" that the majority of people are used to seeing.
> Almost all the contextual information is missing.
What's the number of the road that I need to take to get to Dorking?
The information present depends upon the information you actually need.
There's a reason a map book covers an entire country, while a map like
the one you mention maybe does about ten or twenty miles?
;-)
I do wish, however, given the tech and the cars and such, that Google
Maps would keep itself more up to date!
Best wishes,
Rick.