BBC Weather Deathmatch

It is extremely reminiscent of every installation of new or upgraded software, 'It will take some time to get used to', and 'in the end the viewers (users) will love it'. Whereas the actual users, who in this case aren't the users but the viewers think, 'it makes my eyes go funny' and 'where are all the symbols so I know what's happening?'.

In truth, the BBC's new Weather software system is very good, very good indeed. For Weather Forecasters. But its nigh on useless for viewers. Two and a half D perspective and zooming under the clouds and around the British Isles are all very well when you have the mouse (and I'm impressed with their control of the display given they have the control clenched in one hand), but when you're just watching the results its just disorienting. What is worse because it looks like you should have control over the mouse you get extremely irritated when the attention is on some part of the map you could care less about and if you happen to live in Scotland then you just start off angry because your country is far far away and very small.

Maps have persisted for this long into the electronic age because they're symbolic and easy to relate to. Maps which look like satellite images are sugary eye candy but provide too much of the wrong kind of information.

Yes its wonderful to be able to zoom into all this stuff and no doubt we'll end up with zooming into the A1 to see the black ice, but unless its me doing the zooming for me just don't bother.