Ack, the map is off! :-)
Actually Cecilia, when I did the first map, I sometimes arranged the dots as
near as possible to where they should be while keeping them apart enough for
clarity. A lot of dots together sometimes makes it unclear how many dots are
really there. That was a problem with Europe. Valerie suggested an update to
the map last year and instead of putting a red dot at every location where
SignWriting is used, just have one dot for each country - which I did, locating
each one near the country's geographical centroid.
I'm almost inclined to put country lines in but for the purpose of showing the
general spread of SignWriting and an average "weight" of SignWriting use per
capita, this updated map seems to work. When I first put dots on the maps, I
did briefly consider the idea of having a "weighted" dot, using bigger dots for
areas where there was higher SignWriting activity, but that's not practical
given the size of the map and it's general use. Besides, the more detailed the
map, you more we need to update it.
Sometimes I wonder though, if it wouldn't be nice to have an accurate map with
information available for each location by clicking on the map. But that's the
map-maker in me. Val's way of presenting the information in HTML format below
the map is a much easier way of linking and updating.
Bill
Valerie Sutton wrote:
> SignWriting List
> March 29, 2002
>
> Wonderful to hear from you again, Cecilia! I have been trying to give
> you peace, since I know you have been writing your dissertation and
> you have a deadline, so thanks for taking time to write to us, and
> thanks for the map, and for your old interview with the New York
> Times reporter so long ago...smile...your dissertation will make news
> when it is finished! Val ;-)
>
> ----------------------
>
> Cecilia Flood wrote:
> >For a very brief interval, I'll come away from my 'dissertation writing'
> >and respond to the announcement about the NY Times article. I've been
> >asking my Mom, a resident of New York City and a daily reader of the Times
> >to keep looking for 'that to be' article about SignWriting. Like you
> >Valerie, I'll believe it and read it when it finally gets published. Sounds
> >a bit like my dissertation, 'a work in progress' if there ever was one! I'd
> >like to add one comment about SignWriting users here in the Albuquerque N.M
> >area regarding that world map with red dots. I used that map for our
> >presentation up in Colorado way back in November. I used an overhead
> >transparency that showed the location of Albq. then invited Colorado
> >educators to 'add' another dot just a bit north of us. Actually, I think
> >the locations of those US dots are a bit off. None-the-less, I have a copy
> >of that map with about thirty four signatures that have declared
> >themselves, SignWriting users. Want to send that to the NY Times?
> >Happy Spring everybody.
> >Cecilia Flood
> >also known as C.F.
> >
> >
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