Beauty enhances Beauty
> Don't you think a pretty women is a lot prettier with; let's say, a pearl necklace? You wouldn't go throwing some old zircon walmart trinket on her would you?
So, at what point did you start putting pictures of women (presumably scantily clad) on your maps and do you have to add a call-out with a leader arrow so that the user of your map realizes that's a real pearl necklace, not some fake pearl necklace?
Free to a good home- DIY North arrow kit
Sounds like when your client saw your timid north arrow, he was quizzing you to see if you knew which way was east.:whistle:
Free to a good home- DIY North arrow kit
> Sounds like when your client saw your timid north arrow, he was quizzing you to see if you knew which way was east.
No, the point of that was that if you're decorating a North arrow with all sorts of doo-dahs, you probably are out of touch with the needs of the actual non-surveyor user of the map.
Give Kent a Break
If you had to deal, day in and day out, with clients who were such simpletons that an north arrow (or a moving car or a shiny object) distracted them to the point of confusion; you'd be a grouchy argumentative old man too.
Give Kent a Break
> If you had to deal, day in and day out, with clients who were such simpletons that an north arrow (or a moving car or a shiny object) distracted them to the point of confusion; you'd be a grouchy argumentative old man too.
Actually, this is simply a discussion of the aesthetics of communication. The urge to decorate North arrows is not unlike that which moved the pen of Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Many of us prefer to read spare, coherent prose, free of meaningless doo-dahs. In spoken communication, the decorated North arrow finds a counterpart in the rambling discourse of those with ADD or the explosions of Tourette's.
Give Kent a Break
James- I was kind of picking up on that also, especially his subliminal use of the word "bright". It's got to be rough having the "oooohHH! SHINEY!!!!" bunch for your prime business.
We should be more encouraging....;-)
there, there....
it's ok, buddy.....
Give Kent a Break
> James- I was kind of picking up on that also, especially his subliminal use of the word "bright".
Well, it's a fact of life that many otherwise intelligent and competent people have difficulty interpreting maps. Anyone who isn't aware of that is probably dealing with a very limited population such as engineers or other surveyors. Either one can ignore the problem or acknowledge it. Decluttering maps is an important step in the right direction, in my opinion.
So Which End Actually Points North ?
My guess would be the surveyors initials.
Give Kent a Break
Sometimes there is a hidden archtect demon in Kent that is released.
Not a personal insult, just a joke.. 😉
Give Kent a Break
> Sometimes there is a hidden archtect demon in Kent that is released.
I sort of like the Edward Bulwer-Lytton analogy. It's directly on point with James Fleming since he's also a writer.
Sorry to have missed this discussion. Obviously the AUS stood for the company name (or the surveyor's name as revealed later). I think the most intriguing thing about it was the crescent moon hanging off the left side of the "N". Odd little esoteric graphic device. I should note that I think that it appears to be a very well drafted survey map, very communicative, which is the point of all drafting.
Not that I haven't expressed this before a couple of times, but I guess it bears repeating, the honorable KM does understand that survey maps need to be communicative, but he then makes a hard detour away from rationality by insisting on a severe minamilism in all graphical aesthetics. This might be appropriate in some world devoid of humans, but here on Planet Earth, we react to perceptions of reality much more predictably than we do to actual reality. In other words, time-honored cartographic conventions certainly have their place and a very limited and common sense stylized flourish to these conventions do no harm and in fact can facilitate the communication that again, is the whole point of the exercise. As an example, I point to the shading that A.U.S. put on the subject property in the map posted here. It starts heavy at the border and then attenuates towards the center of the property. The density of it has a "just right" feel to it. That took a little time and work, but think of the pay-off; virtually anyone can discern immediately where the property boundary is on the survey map.
My position has always been and remains that drafting aesthetics are good. They are necessary, appropriate, and beneficial, and most importantly that they are in service of the overriding and ultimate goal, that of communication.
PS, Paden's comment that we need a little artistry in all that we do is very well taken.
Stephen
Give Kent a Break
Your opinion needs a little refinement, good sir. See below.
Unfortunately duty calls and I must be off. I have a UHAUL to unload.
Have a great day and Merry Christmas!
Stephen
Why always north? Why not a North 67-43-55 East arrow, for example?
I have raised that issue before. Time-honored tradition is the answer. Inertia and convention rule. That is why we still use QWERTY keyboards despite the fact that that key arrangement hasn't been necessary for decades.
Stephen
Here is a quick example of a modern version of area shading to differentiate an area of one characteristic from others. So here you can see a water area (complete with an island) and an easement area.
Stephen
> Not that I haven't expressed this before a couple of times, but I guess it bears repeating, the honorable KM does understand that survey maps need to be communicative, but he then makes a hard detour away from rationality by insisting on a severe minamilism in all graphical aesthetics.
Actually, what interests me is communication. Rational economy in use of the medium is part of communication. It's all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking one is producing an art product, particularly when many clients can't actually interpret the map with any sophistication and are impressed by pretty.
Give Kent a Break
> Your opinion needs a little refinement, good sir. See below.
But what is your point? Merely objecting is strictly objectionable.
North Arrow red herrings
Hmmm, using a herring as a north arrow...your office wouldn't happen to be in Ballard would it?
"Due Texas"
James - although Kent is trying to foist the blame of North Arrow hypnotism and paralysis on a somewhat muddled and easily confused citizenry, I think the true reason for his north arrow phobia is rooted in his Texanness. Being a proud and loyal Texan, and still hurting from the sting that Texas threw in with the side that finished in second place in the Civil War, Kent is hesitant to embellish anything that prompts or references the winning side of that tragic conflict. A little bity obscure “north” is all he can muster. And of course, a South arrow is out of the question because proud Texans feel they were dragged down by that unworthy confederation.
The only way to resolve this dilemma would be to have a Texas specific meridian based on the location of Sam Houston’s grave. The bearing to the grave would be referred to as “Due Texas” and the arrow would have a large “T” on it in lieu of the “N” all of us lesser beings use. Or it could be spelled out with the proper modifier like “Grid Texas” or “Magnetic Texas” (the current magnetic poles will have to be changed, but that shouldn’t be a problem). After these changes are put into effect, I think Texians will see some bold and elaborate arrows on KM’s surveys.