[OSM-talk] Awards

[Liz]

On Sun, 23 Aug 2009, Till Harbaum / Lists wrote:
> Sounds like a perfect idea to cause confusion. The whole idea of maps is
> to represent the real world a precise as possible.

I'd have to put another point of view here. Because I have spent a weekend 
without OSM, I've been reading books
and it can be argued that the whole purpose of a map is to show what someone 
wants it to show, usually someone representing authority.
You have to make compromises to put a (almost) spherical object on a flat 
plane, and 'precision' is not part of a Mercator projection. Mercator's 
projection was for the purpose of calculating direction of travel, in 
particular for seafarers.

http://odtmaps.com/
will show you a few different projections quickly, to expand your horizons.