Kenilworth
New member
I haven't yet read the entire forum, but having browsed the survey section and searched in general, I see no mention of hand-drawn cave maps. The state of survey in the UK seems to be generally more advanced than that in the US. I'm interested in the reasons.
Here in the US, there are still a few people, myself included, who hand-draft maps. While it is seen as somewhat backward, I maintain that all of the practical considerations are equally met by pen and ink or computer-drawn maps. In fact, I feel that there is a measure of artistry that is lost with the abandonment of direct tactile drawing. It seems though, that the trend is to make maps appear more and more professional, which results in their being more sterile and uniform.
I am not questioning the value of computer drawn maps, especially when the computer-viewed results provide superior clarity as in the case of large, complex, multi-layered maps. I am questioning our eagerness (in the US) and the seeming completeness (in the UK) of the abandonment of drawing maps by hand. I personally enjoy the process, though I lack any artistic predisposition.
I have guessed that there may be relatively little new exploration ongoing in the UK, and that original surveying projects are less common than here in the US where many secluded caves provide plentiful opportunities for original discovery. Could that be part of the reason you have "progressed" in your survey sophistication? In short, because there's nothing better to do? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm trying to understand the differences in our caving culture. I've been writing for a while about the disconnection between our motivations and behaviors, and the way this disconnection is impacting the number of active cavers. Some input from another angle will surely teach me something...
Here in the US, there are still a few people, myself included, who hand-draft maps. While it is seen as somewhat backward, I maintain that all of the practical considerations are equally met by pen and ink or computer-drawn maps. In fact, I feel that there is a measure of artistry that is lost with the abandonment of direct tactile drawing. It seems though, that the trend is to make maps appear more and more professional, which results in their being more sterile and uniform.
I am not questioning the value of computer drawn maps, especially when the computer-viewed results provide superior clarity as in the case of large, complex, multi-layered maps. I am questioning our eagerness (in the US) and the seeming completeness (in the UK) of the abandonment of drawing maps by hand. I personally enjoy the process, though I lack any artistic predisposition.
I have guessed that there may be relatively little new exploration ongoing in the UK, and that original surveying projects are less common than here in the US where many secluded caves provide plentiful opportunities for original discovery. Could that be part of the reason you have "progressed" in your survey sophistication? In short, because there's nothing better to do? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm trying to understand the differences in our caving culture. I've been writing for a while about the disconnection between our motivations and behaviors, and the way this disconnection is impacting the number of active cavers. Some input from another angle will surely teach me something...