Week 3 Lab Assignment - My Dynamic Map

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Although I think that this dynamic map is helpful in many respects, there are some disadvantages to creating dynamic maps.  In my map in particular, the icons I used as points are helpful because they are descriptive images that reflect the function of that location. However, they also obscure part of the map because they take up space, especially when there are many of them in a single location (e.g. around Bruin Plaza on my map). 


Another disadvantage is that the creator of the map feels limited in terms of how large of a scale their map can have. For example, it would have been more logical to have placed the information for the Garden Mentorship Program on my map at three points in Santa Monica representing the location of each school we work with. However, those points would be so far removed from the rest of the points on the map that there is a high probability the viewer would not notice or look at those points. Thus, in creating dynamic maps, the creator has to find ways to keep most of the points centralized without losing the meaning or purpose of the points.


More generally speaking about neo-geography as opposed to other mapping systems is that neo-geography is user-based. This means that the information displayed is dictated by what the creator wants to share and by what they think viewers want to see. Tailoring the information is good because it can make the message of the map more stream-lined and accessible. However, when using such maps, it is also important to realize that they were made by one or more individuals who purposely included and excluded information in their dynamic map. Accordingly, the map displays only a relatively small selection of possible data and information that could be conveyed.