New digital geography marks a return to subjective cartography

"Maps were once the preserve of an elite, an expression of power, control and, latterly, of minute scientific measurement. Today map-making has been democratised by the internet, where digital technology is spawning an astonishing array of maps", notes columnist Ben Macintyre. "Almost any measurable human activity can be projected, using a computer 'mash-up': a map of New Jersey based on episodes of The Sopranos; the spread of graffiti in a single town; the progress of the Tour de France; traffic accidents; the CO2 emissions for any given flight; or exactly how many people have been gored in the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. ... The new generation of amateur map-makers are doing for the traditional atlas what Wikipedia has already done to the encyclopaedia, adding layer upon layer of new information, some that is fascinating and useful, much that is pointless and misleading, and almost all from a distinctly personal perspective."

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