The 'Cartographer' Title

[tilt]

It might be amusing to set up some sort of certification/ranking system, and to move up you have to present a map to a board. Doubtful it would be worth the effort or bureaucracy, but it would be amusing to be able to say 'Certified Cartographer Adept' on my resume.

By the powers vested in me by no-one in particular I hereby declare you Certified Cartographer Adept ... without actually certification of course *lol* ... which would make you "Adept Master TMO"

[Lailokken]

It might be amusing to set up some sort of certification/ranking system, and to move up you have to present a map to a board. Doubtful it would be worth the effort or bureaucracy, but it would be amusing to be able to say 'Certified Cartographer Adept' on my resume.

Aside from actually being able to do what you suggest TMO and add 'Certified Cartographer' to your resume (which would be very cool indeed btw), I was wondering if the certification process could perhaps be used as a mini workshop of some sort, in which novices like myself could learn basic fundamentals and techniques of cartography and advance via quizzes.

I think Ascension mentioned something along the lines of degrees or level of proficiency. Maybe something like that could work.. pass the first quiz and become a novice, and then work your way up through apprentice, mapmaker, etc., until eventually earning your 'Cartographer' badge. And for all you veterans who are already masters, you'd have to set up a different set of guidelines to earn your Savant and Master Cartographer of the Elements & Arcane titles. Any merit to the idea.. or just a silly notion?

[tilt]

its a good idea... the execution would require some resources, both in setting up the "quests", and evaluating the people taking them.

However it would be possible to make a forum thread where people could submit their map and then have a group of admins vote if the task was qualifying or not. And if X out of Y votes were positive one would gain a rank. Don't know if the system in here supports two titles - but if not, one could use the award system instead.

[Diamond]

Nah... I'm just a Photoshop hack who occasionally gets lucky and manages to cobble something together that looks halfway decent.

That's pretty much how I view myself too; there's no way I'd ever consider myself a 'professional' cartographer.

[jtougas]

its a good idea... the execution would require some resources, both in setting up the "quests", and evaluating the people taking them.

However it would be possible to make a forum thread where people could submit their map and then have a group of admins vote if the task was qualifying or not. And if X out of Y votes were positive one would gain a rank. Don't know if the system in here supports two titles - but if not, one could use the award system instead.

Thats a pretty neat idea. I think it would add some "guildness" to the guild and give some of us a chance to "walk the tables" as journeymen.

[Ascension]

We currently have a quasi-level system with titles in place - it's the first line under your name. I think it's a combination of total posts, reputation, and badges. Arcana would know more about it since he set it up way back when and then revised it a few years ago. All we'd have to do is change that system if need be and grant CLs some admin rights to dole out titles.

[jtougas]

We currently have a quasi-level system with titles in place - it's the first line under your name. I think it's a combination of total posts, reputation, and badges. Arcana would know more about it since he set it up way back when and then revised it a few years ago. All we'd have to do is change that system if need be and grant CLs some admin rights to dole out titles.

The current system is great, but for real reward it could be modified. For example I'm a "Guild Expert" mainly because I flap my gums a lot and have a lot of posts, but in NO way do I feel like an "expert" in anything...

*EDIT* and of course because I am a dufus..I completley spaced on the fact that I do in fact call my self a "Fantasy Cartographer" on my portfolio site. But "John Tougas Fantasy Almost Cartography" doesn't have as good a ring to it..

[Gamerprinter]

Well on my websites and in my signatures on various forums I visit, I call myself a "pro fantasy cartographer". When people ask me what I do for a living, I say, I'm a graphic designer and a pro fantasy cartographer.

Now whether I can officially wear that title, based on the cartography industry, I don't really know - nor am I too bothered lacking the credentials to say I'm a cartographer.

I certainly don't do GIS work, nor would I want to - all those real GPS coordinates, way too mathmatically for my tastes, I'm more of an artist. While I want an authentic look to my work, I certainly don't need it to be exacting down to the square inch.

So while I probably don't qualify for the title 'cartographer', I do wear the title when asked and don't feel wrong in saying so.

GP

PS: also, though my 'title' under my forum name states "publisher", I am also a member of the Industry Pros Group. Back before I was assigned 'publisher', I wore the grey of the industry pro. Publisher supercedes industry pro in the site's titling, so that's what I am named here...

[tilt]

The current system is great, but for real reward it could be modified. For example I'm a "Guild Expert" mainly because I flap my gums a lot and have a lot of posts, but in NO way do I feel like an "expert" in anything...

I must agree with Jtougas here, I certainly post a lot, which have pushed me up the ranks, and its nice to see the ranking reflecting the people who actively participates in the community even if they aren't cartographers. So a badge of your cartography merits would be nice. It could be the same badge that changed upon your ranking, so we don't drown in badges ... like military ranks, with chevrons and stars and pips and who knows what *lol* ... maybe old D&D city symbols would be nice - small circle, large circle, circle with dot in it, circle with star ... or something with cartography tools.

[Ascension]

If we went that way I'd like to somehow incorporate all of the various styles one has mastered...like an ISO mountain badge for the ISO style, a hand for hand-drawn, satellite for realism, old globe for antique, a house for cities. Stuff like that.