Job orientation

[Gamerprinter]

Your points are valid, Marvin, however, most of us create maps of places that only exist in our or someone else's imagination. There is no "geodata" for these fictional landscapes that most here generate. The act of old fashioned hand-placed cartography is not only the means to an end, it is the "means" in of itself, creation in its greater aspect that we strive to perform. The hours placing trees, mountains, forests, elevations and labels is a recuperative activity - mapping is a joy.

Many here, would rather not have cartography as a job, it is simply a hobby and a pure artform. Those of us who are paid to create maps do so for the love of it, because often our day jobs provide the income that mapping never will for the majority.

There are some here who create alternative versions of Earth, with differing history, thus different placements of national borders, etc. I for one, have no interest whatsoever, in maps of the real world, even in an altered form. While I appreciate them, I would never spend my time recreating reality. That I find a boring prospect. I would much rather map the impossible and non-existent; playing god and creating our own worlds, that to me is a greater sense of accomplishment.

So GIS real Earth mapping and what most of us create are "apples and oranges". I have no interest in geodata, nor creating "creative" maps based on geodata.

There are no satellites over Middle Earth, Westeros or Kaidan - we use the geodata of our minds.

In the end, we are not complaining. I hope you can find the ideal job that fits your training. I for one am not looking for that job - I've already found it.

GP