# Maps are multi-scale You can get some information just by glancing at a map and then more and different information by zooming in. Fractals were literally discovered by someone mapping coastlines.[[Every time you zoom in on a fractal, it presents the same pattern on a different scale]]. If a map doesn’t give you something useful on first glance, it’s not doing its job. Most pure-text roadmaps fail on this point - it’s very hard to get something useful on first glance from pure text unless it has a well crafted outline. If you can’t get different useful things when you investigate a map more closely it’s not doing its job. If you can’t get different useful things when you investigate a map more closely it’s not doing its job. Digital maps are wonderful in this way because they can actually load scale-dependent information. Good paper maps did this by being obscenely detailed - cartographers ‘[entire professional life is spent at the magnification level of a postage stamp](https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/for-decades-cartographers-have-been-hiding-covert-illustrations-inside-of-switzerlands-official-maps/).’ ### Related * [[Maps help you figure out possibilities]] * [[Maps help you understand the state of something]] * [[What are the properties of maps?]] <!-- #evergreen --> [Web URL for this note](http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Maps+are+multi-scale) [Comment on this note](http://via.hypothes.is/http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Maps+are+multi-scale)