Cartographic generalisation

"Cartographic generalisation means the variety of modifications that can, and must, be made as a result of the reduction of information....at the same time increasing the effectiveness of the information communicated." (Robinson et al., 1978) The power of a GIS comes from the ability to relate different information in a spatial context and to reach a conclusion about this relationship. Most of the information available about our world contains a location reference, placing that information …

…issue then becomes one of do these objet descriptions fit the needs of the user at a local level?? Even though 80% of digital data is in the form of lines there should be more focus on other objects. The interaction between industry , national mapping agencies and academic institutions needs to be closer - allowing for the building of larger knowledge bases. Ultimately GIS and generalisation are about effectively communicating the appropraiate message to the user.