Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
JohnW
Posts: 6667
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by JohnW »

chris_suffolk wrote:The OP's original message asked why nobody wanted old maps, and that he had failed to sell any despite advertising on e-bay and elsewhere. That said, I PM'ed asking which ones were for sale as I could be interested. Nothing!!!! So, do you really want rid?

It could be that your PM got stuck in cycberspace - I've had difficulty with my most recent attempt at PMs.
They're not something I usually use, but sometimes they could be handy.
I'll not bother in future.
pete75
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Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by pete75 »

chris_suffolk wrote:The OP's original message asked why nobody wanted old maps, and that he had failed to sell any despite advertising on e-bay and elsewhere. That said, I PM'ed asking which ones were for sale as I could be interested. Nothing!!!! So, do you really want rid?


I want rid of all not piecemeal and was prepared to give them away not sell. They're all in a big box and it will take sometime for me to go through and list them all. Do you really expect instant answers to anything you may ask?
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
rmurphy195
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Location: South Birmingham

Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by rmurphy195 »

pete75 wrote:Had a clear out and as a result getting rid of about 125 OS 1:50000 maps. Was collecting the whole country at one time but now I've got them all on Memory Map. Put on Ebay no takers, put on Freecycle no takers so now they're for burning. A shame really - you'd think someone would have a use for 'em.


A list, perhaps, or a link to ebay?

BTW I usually buy the 1:25000 these days, much more useful than the old Landranger (of which I have quite a few!). Except for the 1:50000 I've recently purchased, tailor-made for the area surrounding where I live
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NickWi
Posts: 208
Joined: 28 Apr 2011, 8:14pm

Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by NickWi »

I have a few 'Historic' Maps of my local and not so local area and one of my err, pleasures is to go our for ride just using the old map. Okay, sometimes I've had to push along the odd green lane or byway, but it's suprisingly good fun what you either come across that isn't marked on new maps or what you think should be there but has long since disapeared. Or maybe I'm just wierd.
landsurfer
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by landsurfer »

British Army now insisting those joining from the Cadet Force have paper map and compass skills as any future war could have an EMP attack against the GPS system as an opener ....
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Pneumant
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Pneumant »

I think OS mapping is amongst the worlds best, especially the OS Paper maps. I have a couple of hundred and several copies of the ones in heavy usage. I also like the physical size of paper maps which, for me, definitely aid route planning decisions both on foot and awheel. Looking at the map after a bike ride checking where paths / roads intersect and confirming interesting landscape features such as ancient sunken lanes, earthworks and castles, is a guilty pleasure :D Apparently each map has an intentional error for copyright reasons, could be the shape of a wood or an additional road etc.
Jdsk
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Jdsk »

"Copying maps costs AA £20m. 'Fingerprints' in Ordnance Survey sources used as proof":
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/mar/06/andrewclark

Jonathan
Pneumant
Posts: 283
Joined: 7 Oct 2010, 8:25pm

Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Pneumant »

Jdsk wrote:"Copying maps costs AA £20m. 'Fingerprints' in Ordnance Survey sources used as proof":
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/mar/06/andrewclark

Jonathan

Thanks for the link - very interesting!
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Pneumant wrote:I think OS mapping is amongst the worlds best, especially the OS Paper maps. I have a couple of hundred and several copies of the ones in heavy usage. I also like the physical size of paper maps which, for me, definitely aid route planning decisions both on foot and awheel. Looking at the map after a bike ride checking where paths / roads intersect and confirming interesting landscape features such as ancient sunken lanes, earthworks and castles, is a guilty pleasure :D Apparently each map has an intentional error for copyright reasons, could be the shape of a wood or an additional road etc.

Harmless guilty pleasure, +1
That about errors could be a Rural Myth, who knows? Perhaps if a military facility is shown, it is covering up a distribution centre run by 'orinoco' :wink:
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Jdsk
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Jdsk »

Deleted because of error. See Tangled Metal's correction below.

See below.
Last edited by Jdsk on 11 Dec 2020, 10:17am, edited 3 times in total.
pete75
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Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by pete75 »

Cyril Haearn wrote:
Pneumant wrote:I think OS mapping is amongst the worlds best, especially the OS Paper maps. I have a couple of hundred and several copies of the ones in heavy usage. I also like the physical size of paper maps which, for me, definitely aid route planning decisions both on foot and awheel. Looking at the map after a bike ride checking where paths / roads intersect and confirming interesting landscape features such as ancient sunken lanes, earthworks and castles, is a guilty pleasure :D Apparently each map has an intentional error for copyright reasons, could be the shape of a wood or an additional road etc.

Harmless guilty pleasure, +1
That about errors could be a Rural Myth, who knows? Perhaps if a military facility is shown, it is covering up a distribution centre run by 'orinoco' :wink:


Well there's a military base near here which is shown in very little detail on OS maps. If you look at Soviet military maps online it's shown in very great detail.
I'm not sure if maps which contain deliberate errors can be described as amongst the worlds best. If that really is the case how can anyone trust the things?
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Right there Pete, in principle, but I never discovered any inconsistencies in rural Herefordshire :wink:
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Jdsk wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:That about errors could be a Rural Myth, who knows?

The people who paid £20M because of it, as cited above?

Jonathan

PS: "Trap streets":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

From the article about the AA case, a quote from the OS CEO.

“There are some publishers who put deliberate mistakes in their maps. We don’t do that - it would mislead our customers. For us, it’s more about the style we use.”


As far as the OS goes it is a myth they deliberately put errors in to each sheet. The only errors that I am aware of are specific military establishments for example a naval base on the west coast of Scotland I believe has been removed from the map version the public see. It does have its origins in military surveying so that makes sense to me.
Jdsk
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by Jdsk »

You're right.

Sorry.

A to Z used to include trap streets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

Jonathan
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Why does nobody want paper maps anymore?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Paper maps are not a lot of good if you don't know how to use a compass.
One and 50,000 is no good for walking in general because there's not enough detail.
Unlike cycling you tend to look at the map more often when you are walking and you tend to notice the detail more on the map.
Now if it was one in 25,000 you have a lot of takers.
Unless you can find your way home in the dark and the mist and you go off road, you definitely need a paper map and compass.
A soggy map is better than a damp flat mobile phone.
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