Washington Post on Allen Carroll

Can’t place the name? He’s National Geographic Society’s chief cartographer. The profile is lightweight (kid friendly) but he does stress the importance of art and computers for today’s cartographers.

This paragraph got me thinking, especially in recent discussions of whether geospatial is a profession:

Cartographers (pronounced car-TOGG-ruh-fers) are employed by all sorts of companies. Police departments use maps to figure out where the most crimes are occurring. People who run fast-food restaurants use maps to figure out where potential customers are moving so they know the best place to open a store.

Are the folks doing those jobs considered cartographers? Are they GIS specalists? Where is the line between the end product and the process or tool used?

- Washington Post (via Columbus Dispatch)

See also: Want to make maps? about how kids can get started. No mention of the Web in the suggestions.