Map Coordinates for Dummies

Map coordinates

Unfortunately, we haven't kept track of how many truly dumbass posts we've come across that deal with reading, making and interpreting maps. We obviously haven't been sufficiently granular in our topic descriptions (Note to intern: get on that! [Intern's reply: Done!]). Unfortunately, maps appear to be as big a black box to the average "communications" or journalism graduate as the household electrical system. Well, at least to eHow.com's Chad Buleen (aka Chuck Buleen), whom we caught explaining "How to Get Map Coordinates"¹ – at least to the best of his limited knowledge.

As is typical of eHow contributors (a motley crew, at best), Buleen immediately made the assumption that the OQ 1) was using a computer, and 2) only wanted latitude and longitude. To that end, Chad sent his readers to three online "resources," one of which is defunct, one of which exists but doesn't work and the third of which just used the Google Maps API to show a google map. Duh.

If all you want is the latitude and longitude -- and, according to Chad,

"...Knowing the coordinates of a location can be important for city planners, builders and military personnel, as well as the average citizen..." ...it's dirt simple: all you do is pull up a Google map of the area, click on the address or feature in question, and a little popup shows lat-long coordinates. You don't need to go to some other website and use a different interface. Heck, you can do pretty much the same thing with MapQuest: pull up the location on a map and just click on the feature. Take, for instance, City Hall in Muskogee, Oklahoma: latitude 35.748603N, longitude 95.371411W.

Either of those methods will find the latitude and longitude of any point on the surface of the earth; you don't need any of Chad's "resources." Of course, Chad didn't bother addressing either of the two alternate possibilities: what if you're not on a computer? and what if you want more than latitude and longitude?

Chad didn't address those questions, either because he never considered them or because he had no idea that they applied. That's one of the weaknesses of letting uneducated, unprepared liberal arts graduates try to discuss even slightly technical subjects. A third possibility is that he didn't want to spend the time to do the necessary research... any of the three is sufficient, though, for Buleen to collect himself another Dumbass of the Day award.

¹ The original has been deleted by Leaf Group, but can still be accessed using the Wayback machine at archive.org. Its URL was ehow.com/how_7348873_map-coordinates.html

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