Another endangered pulp media: maps

Tree huggers take note: most forms of information on pulp are on the way out. One of the first to go was the encyclopedia, and the daily news printed on dead trees may be next. Another printed information media is in danger: The map.

Apparently, the head of the British Cartographic Society is no fan of Google Maps. She’s complaining that Google Maps doesn’t include the additional geographic information that makes maps so great, claiming:

“We’re in real danger of losing what makes maps so unique, giving us a feel for a place even if we’ve never been there.”

Except, that’s not quite true. After all, Google Maps allows all sorts of overlays and additional info. With Google Maps you can also get the satellite view, which is likely to give you a much greater feel for a place than a map. And, of course, many areas have the “Street View” feature as well — again, providing a much greater feel for a place you’ve never been. As for certain landmarks and such not being added to Google Maps, more seem to be added every day, and with Google letting people add their own information to maps as well, it’s only going to get better and better.(Techdirt)

Information wants to be free and unfiltered. Pulp media is dying because it is filtered and non interactive. This trend does not mean an end for tech savvy  cartographers any more than it meant an end for tech savvy journalists. There is a giant opportunity for them to build mash ups using Google’s unfiltered data combined with their knowledge to create something compelling.