Other sites report over 100,000 maps accessed on a daily basis. At least a million, perhaps as many as ten million maps are downloaded through the Internet every day. The Internet has become a major distributor of maps. Moreover, the medium is changing the way maps are presented and used. Its impact on map use will likely be greater than that of the printing press.
Cartographers criticize the quality of maps that are available through the Internet.
In comparison to maps on paper, these maps have a much poorer resolution and many are poorly designed. Indeed, a new medium seems to initially attract those who can adapt to its technology, and not necessarily people who can contribute significantly to its content. The invention of printing had much the same effect. The T in O map, a biblical view of the earth that entirely left out the western hemisphere, was still widely distributed in the 16th century because it was among the first maps to be printed. All three contributed significantly to the development and growth of academic cartography.