Discussion: BBC article on the "death" of paper maps

Rather interesting article from BBC.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19908848

It's not about knowing where you are, it's about knowing where you're going.

My love affair with maps began 30 years ago. I have just mentioned to BP, on another AP discussion thread, about the evolution of some local orienteering maps from the first black and white versions significantly lacking in detail to the modern versions.

Today, I'm about the start a relaxing 5 day walk on part of the Bibbulmun Track. When I started exploring this track many years ago, all that was available were the official printed guide maps that you could supplement with government issue 1:50,000 topographical maps for a bigger picture. This time I'm taking an EPIRB and a hand held GPS loaded with a topographical map and the GPS trace of the entire 960km odd route of the track. On a whim I've thrown into the pack the old guide map just for curiousity sake.

At work, I employ field technicians to visit many commercial premises around our city during any given week. None of them own a street directory and could not function without their in-car GPS. Occasionally they get stuck when their GPS doesn't have enough detail. By default, they call me and I guide them with directions over the mobile phone, most of which I can do without the aid of a map (Perth is a relatively small city). Very sad.

Times - they are a changing.

In car GPS maps are like calculators - in that once you commit to actively using the device your brain seems to lose the ability to think for itself!

I was about to say the same thing. Many people I know can no longer think for themselves and immediately reach for the closest bit of technology to help them out of having to do so.

Maps and street directories are just a part of it.

Craig was good for that too in orienteering. Not quite technology, but certainly obviated the need to think for myself!

Well he is (was?) a machine isn't he?

A couple of recent anecdotes.

1) The Adventure Runs in Seattle (both at Road Runner Sports and another local store) are essentially urban orienteering races made for people who don't really do that much navigating. At these events, nobody uses paper maps.

At RRS runs, they either use a) the emailed Google map from their smartphone, or b) write down the list of street intersections and business names and flounder around. They either have their device tell them where to go, or they skip maps altogether.

This could be why we're having trouble getting young people into the sport. If they don't understand the use of a paper map, would the understand the fun in using one?

2) At our 'Hood Hunt last month, the neighborhood news blog wrote about our event. But they didn't focus on the "hey, come explore your neighborhood" angle that I'm used to reading. They basically said, "Hey, come use an actual map!"

Paper maps will survive as long as we can make them fun to use. Running has survived in spite of the ready availability of cars hasn't it? Riding horses. Swimming. There is even the possibility that thinking may survive.

Unlikely.

I am at the other end of the spectrum - I would be unable to compete in an event involving a "smart phone" because I refuse to get one. It is lucky we have to compete in one of our urban races in teams of two because most, if not all, of the clues require ready Internet access so I just let my teammate sort it out.

Death of paper maps is a long way off. Just last week, I gave a talk about "using maps and GPS" to members of Cambridge Natural History Society, which included topics such as changes in surveying & cartography techniques since 1983 (when I surveyed my first map, on a BSES expedition to East Greenland), changes in GPS accuracy, potential for using orienteering maps for tracking habitat changes (in areas that are mapped and updated) etc.

Yeah, but that's like saying the horse and buggy isn't dead. People still use the horse and buggy. Or whatever obsolete technology you want. Nothing is truly "dead".

But to the masses, the everyday people, paper maps are going extinct and being replaced by digital ones.

Equestrian is still an Olympic sport, despite the fact that it is an anachronism.

Although it is tough going from a niche sport to an anachronistic one, too.

Paper everything is going extinct.

Toilet paper may survive. :-)

You may have a point. On the other hand, the World Dryer company is doing their part to get rid of paper towels...

Believe that paper is used as a food ingredient in some Asian cultures. If you're lost in the bush can you eat your kindle?

As long as you don't light it before you eat it. The wax could get a bit hot.

Toilet paper may not survive - perhaps all westerners will migrate to washlet use soon.

I wonder - would that migration be a bowel movement?