Discussion: Scale bar on maps

Looking at the recent JWOC maps on-line, and now the first of the World Games maps I have noticed that the maps have not had a scale bar anywhere on the page, and the same was the case for WOC & JWOC from 2008. All had the scale ratio shown, (1:15000, 1:10000, 1:5000 etc) but this is not a lot of use when the copy of the map is a computer file that has lost all physical dimensions. Trying to get a feel for the terrain is much harder when the fine detail of point symbols has been lost because of image degradation and there is no scale bar.

There is no requirement in ISOM2000 or ISSOM2007 for any form of scale bar to be used, and the only mention of a physical representation of the map scale is buried in the definition of north lines. North lines should be 500m apart on 1:15000 maps, and 150m apart on 1:4000 or 1:5000 sprint maps.

"For maps with other scales lines placing should be at intervals which represents a round number of meters (e.g. 50 m, 100 m, 250 m, 500 m) and the spacing should be between 20mm and 40mm on the map." - ISOM2000

Now that more orienteers will look at maps from major competitions on-line than actually use the map in the field, is it time for mappers and organisers to include a scale bar as well as the sponsors logos?

The grid interval is more important - I am not going to pan around the map to refer to a scale bar.
But I do use the scale bar to quickly visually check the grid spacing - that is rarely printed on maps. I agree that telling me a map scale is 1:10000 is fairly meaningless if I have no way of scaling the displayed image.

Wha the standard DOES call for is printing the map symbols to scale. I can tell from the width of contour lines, trails, and size of point symbols what the distances are. Not enough to measure exactly, but certainly well enough to have a feel for the length of a leg.

This is why the explicitly prohibited (but often employed) practice of using 1:15 symbol size on a 1:10 map is such a bad idea: it effectively removes the scale from a folded map.

And, yes, having the grid spacing right for north lines is also very important.

It may not be required, but every map I have ever drafted (as far as I know) has had a scale bar. I have it as clipart, and pop it into some convenient spot. As you note, it may not be that important to the competitor while running, but it's useful for other purposes.