User:MapMaster

Welcome to my User page! - -  -

My map-making guidelines
My goal is to create integrated maps, maps intended to be read alongside the text, highlighting important places mentioned in the article.

In general, integrated maps:
 * Will work together with the accompanying article. The purpose of an integrated map is to provide context for placenames and other information in the article.
 * Will be sharply defined and clear when viewed within the article. Too many maps in Wikipedia are shrunken so small or drawn with so much detail that they cannot be read or understood from the article.
 * Will have colors based on the semi-official ones at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Maps.
 * Will not require a magnifying glass and maxi-zoom to read the details. Like a Wikipedia article, a map can be improved by leaving out information/data.
 * Will be easy to interpret.

While large comprehensive maps have their own encyclopedic uses, they do not work well as a guide to places and other information in the article -- editor will almost always reduce that map's size to the point where it requires the visitor to click to another screen just to read it.

A bit of background
I am also a fan of Edward Tufte and I think it's important that maps (or any visual informative media) are clean and easily understandable, with little if any window dressing. This does not mean, however, that maps should be drab. Au contraire.

I use Inkscape to create my maps. I believe that SVG is the best format for maps, although the font support here in Wiki-land is poor (see discussion here).

I try to work on the requests at w:en:Wikipedia:WikiProject Maps/Requested and orphan maps, but you certainly may leave a request on my Talk page.

My Wikipedia maps
I would be very happy to translate any of my maps into another language.

My historical maps
[[Image:Invasions of the Roman Empire 1.png|center|500px|thumb|A map showing the barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire.
 * Voici la version française: Image:Grandes Invasions Empire romain.png.
 * Here it is in Arabic: Image:Invasions of the Roman Empire Arabic.svg.]]

Locator maps
The following maps do not contain any labels. Such maps are useful under some circumstances, but the general geographic area must be recognizable to the average reader. The disadvantage, of course, is that these maps are less informative, but such maps can be useful in a multi-language encyclopedia.

Site maps
Here are three maps intended to show particular sites.

bu:User:MapMaster

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