old map new map

This seems fairly obvious, but I will delve into it a little bit anyway. In the old days maps were drawn based on observation and fieldwork. It is my opinion that we are moving way past that point. Old cartography, and I mean the really old stuff, though somewhat accurate are nothing in comparison to reality. as time went on and surveying techniques improved so did the maps being made and their accuracy. I think now though most of these maps are just relics. Cool pieces of art to hang on the wall, admire, and contemplate our roots. Otherwise in our times f technology, they are quite useless. We are now accurate beyond what any explorer could have imagined. The downside to this is that we miss out on that fieldwork. The excitement of being the first to see something. The first to study an area. That is all gone and we rarely will make it into the field except maybe to collect some GPS points. Most of the data we use has already been collected and now it is our job to find that stuff. I guess one could make the argument that now we cartographers have become a different type of explorer. We are data management pioneers. We will never draw a map by hand instead we will utilize the new technological avenues and it is our job to be excited about that and use it in a way that will be beneficial for.....whoever. Cartography is not the same nor will it ever be. This is the age of technology.