Difference between revisions of "Category:Bad Map Projections"

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*A series of comics of bad {{w|map projections}}. Such projections (real and invented) is a topic [[Randall]] often returns to.
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This comic series is about [[Randall Munroe|Randall]]'s bad {{w|map projections}}. Maps, real or, in this case, invented, are a [[:Category:Maps|recurrent topic]] on xkcd. Randall especially focuses on map projections, which are various ways to show the Earth on a flat surface, most famously depicted in [[977: Map Projections]]. Projecting Earth on a flat map is not possible to do without distortion since the Earth is round, so every projection is a compromise. Normally, the projections try to be useful in some way while less precise on other situations. In this series, however, Randall solely makes fun of the idea of many different projections, even calling them all Bad Map Projections.
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**'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
 
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This series began in [[1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize|January 2017]], and that it was a series became clear when it got its second installment in [[1799: Bad Map Projection: Time Zones|February 2017]]. But then it took three years until the third came in [[Bad Map Projection: South America|January 2020]]. The fourth came a year and a half later in [[2489: Bad Map Projection: The Greenland Special|July 2021]]. The fifth came nine and a half months later in [[2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator|April 2022]]. The sixth came 15 months later in [[2807: Bad Map Projection: ABS(Longitude)|July 2023]].
 
  
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Randall has been into [[:Category:Maps|maps]] for a long time on xkcd. Especially he focused on map projections, which are various ways to show the Earth on a flat surface, as in [[977: Map Projections]]. This is not possible to do without distortion because the Earth is not flat.</noinclude><sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]&#93;</sup><noinclude>
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EDITORS: Don't worry about this string of text above, it's used for indenting the page on [[Comic series]]. Just don't touch it.
  
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A long time after releasing that comic, which did not say the projections were bad, but clearly showed how different Earth's countries looks in different maps, he continues the list of projections (well, with Bad Map Projections he made himself) in what turned out to be a series, of eight comics so far.  
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-->The map projections he has released all get a number, which, if taken seriously, would mean there are at least 349 that haven't been released, as the highest number so far is 358. The first two, [[1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize|The Liquid Resize]] and [[1799: Bad Map Projection: Time Zones|Time Zones]] were released using a similar six color scheme, with each country in a different color than its closest neighbors, but all the following ones were just plain black, gray, and white.<noinclude>
  
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However, these projections are not real projections, and they are all named "Bad Map Projection: ''(Name)''".
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So far, they have the following numbers (release order shown at the end):
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They even get a number, which if taken seriously would mean there are 349 other unreleased bad map projections at least, as the highest number so far is 358 and as of 2025 there have been released only nine bad map projections.
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:<nowiki>#45</nowiki>: [[2951: Bad Map Projection: Exterior Kansas|Exterior Kansas]] (No. 7)
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So far they have the following numbers (listed in number order rather than release order; the first two were released in the opposite order, and later releases not adhering to any obvious order since then, but with the third having the highest number so far). Release number shown at the end.
 
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:<nowiki>#45</nowiki>: [[2951: Bad Map Projection: Exterior Kansas|2951: Exterior Kansas]] (No. 7)
 
 
:<nowiki>#79</nowiki>: [[1799: Bad Map Projection: Time Zones|Time Zones]] (No. 2)
 
:<nowiki>#79</nowiki>: [[1799: Bad Map Projection: Time Zones|Time Zones]] (No. 2)
 
:<nowiki>#102</nowiki>: [[2999: Bad Map Projection: The United Stralia|The United Stralia]] (No. 8)
 
:<nowiki>#102</nowiki>: [[2999: Bad Map Projection: The United Stralia|The United Stralia]] (No. 8)
 
:<nowiki>#107</nowiki>: [[1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize|The Liquid Resize]] (No. 1)
 
:<nowiki>#107</nowiki>: [[1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize|The Liquid Resize]] (No. 1)
 
:<nowiki>#152</nowiki>: [[2807: Bad Map Projection: ABS(Longitude)|ABS(Longitude)]] (No. 6)
 
:<nowiki>#152</nowiki>: [[2807: Bad Map Projection: ABS(Longitude)|ABS(Longitude)]] (No. 6)
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:<nowiki>#194</nowiki>: [[3122: Bad Map Projection: Interrupted Spheres]] (No. 9)
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:<nowiki>#194</nowiki>: [[3122: Bad Map Projection: Interrupted Spheres|Interrupted Spheres]] (No. 9)
 
:<nowiki>#248</nowiki>: [[2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator|Madagascator]] (No. 5)
 
:<nowiki>#248</nowiki>: [[2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator|Madagascator]] (No. 5)
 
:<nowiki>#299</nowiki>: [[2489: Bad Map Projection: The Greenland Special|The Greenland Special]] (No. 4)
 
:<nowiki>#299</nowiki>: [[2489: Bad Map Projection: The Greenland Special|The Greenland Special]] (No. 4)
 
:<nowiki>#358</nowiki>: [[2256: Bad Map Projection: South America|South America]] (No. 3)
 
:<nowiki>#358</nowiki>: [[2256: Bad Map Projection: South America|South America]] (No. 3)
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This may give promise of several more bad projections. So far, the first two have been released using a similar six color scheme, like a political map with each country in a different color than its closest neighbors. But the other five were just plain black, gray, and white.
 
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Since 2021 a new series that follows the same release type has arisen: [[:Category:Cursed Connectors|Cursed Connectors]]. These are also numbered and there are also very high numbers used compared to the number that has been depicted.
 
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[[Category:Maps]]
 
[[Category:Maps]]
 
[[Category:Comic series]]
 
[[Category:Comic series]]

Latest revision as of 17:12, 3 December 2025

This comic series is about Randall's bad map projections. Maps, real or, in this case, invented, are a recurrent topic on xkcd. Randall especially focuses on map projections, which are various ways to show the Earth on a flat surface, most famously depicted in 977: Map Projections. Projecting Earth on a flat map is not possible to do without distortion since the Earth is round, so every projection is a compromise. Normally, the projections try to be useful in some way while less precise on other situations. In this series, however, Randall solely makes fun of the idea of many different projections, even calling them all Bad Map Projections.

The map projections he has released all get a number, which, if taken seriously, would mean there are at least 349 that haven't been released, as the highest number so far is 358. The first two, The Liquid Resize and Time Zones were released using a similar six color scheme, with each country in a different color than its closest neighbors, but all the following ones were just plain black, gray, and white.

So far, they have the following numbers (release order shown at the end):

#45: Exterior Kansas (No. 7)
#79: Time Zones (No. 2)
#102: The United Stralia (No. 8)
#107: The Liquid Resize (No. 1)
#152: ABS(Longitude) (No. 6)
#194: Interrupted Spheres (No. 9)
#248: Madagascator (No. 5)
#299: The Greenland Special (No. 4)
#358: South America (No. 3)
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