I tend to be more interested in the process of making meaning than in meanings themselves, but let’s start with a few definitions, since I think they’ll make it pretty obvious what I’m attempting here. The following are from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, originally looked up on my iPhone () and linked for you here to Bartleby.com.

Cartography
n. The art or technique of making maps or charts.

Commponplace
adj. Having no remarkable features, characteristics, or traits; ordinary.
n. A trite or obvious remark; a platitude
n. A passage marked for reference or entered into a commonplace book. (archaic)

Commonplace book
n. A personal journal in which quotable passages, literary excerpts, and comments are written.

My academic background presses me to assert that Commonplace Cartography is an attempt to map meaning to things that otherwise might get lost in the frenetic comings and goings of our digital lives.

But it’s really much less high-minded than all that.

While there may be some cartography happening from time to time, you’re much more likely to encounter the common, filtered through the lens of some guy on the Internet named Mike.

It’s just a blog. (but it’s mine)

I hope you’ll subscribe, and join me along the way.