So, to continue building our toolkit of mental models, we will discuss today's maps, reality, observations, and the past.
So you receive a map from Bansah.
And this map is excellent: it has clear lines, colors, a font easy to understand, and most importantly, it shows where the north is. You can look at it and understand exactly where the roads lead and which trails don't lead anywhere.
Looking closer, you can see various notes:
- "Buy those henchmen to join your party."
- "Don't pay the mine tax to the dwarfs."
- "No potions in Alchemists' shop."
- and so on...
It feels great having access to this knowledge. You are prepared to start walking to your destination. You know what didn't work for him, and you might even move faster and save some money.
Does this sound like something you experienced? Something that encouraged you to make certain decisions? Did those decisions pan out nicely?
What is a map, and who even builds one?
A map is a reduction of details, an abstraction of knowledge, and a representation of data points usually understood differently. You can learn the route from the village entrance to the tavern by looking at a map or walking the streets.
Some general truths about maps:
- Maps are usually created with something other than the 1:1 scale. A decision on how much data loss is accepted must be made to make them useful. You will get less from the map than visiting the place but more than nothing still by using it.
- Maps are created or updated at a specific point. Depending on what they represent, sometimes it's acceptable to have old data. Roads stay the same, but a project's requirements might change.
- The map's creator had a need for it, and that map fulfilled that role. What variables he thought were important might not be for you.
- Usually, it takes a lot of work to maintain an up-to-date map. On the other hand, how costly would it be to make decisions with old data?
